Minato Namikaze's Poke'to Adventures!
by Poke'ninja Alu
Summary: Alu's plans change, and now Minato no longer needs all the badges from all the gyms. He only needs the badges of the Kanto region. He resumes his quest with Alu and an unknown woman joins them on their travels. He is also searching for who he really is.
1. Chapter 0 New Ending

_**Prologue**_

_**Chapter 0**_

**Cold and dark.**

It was as if a giant hand had snuffed out a light leaving nothing in its wake. A spirit,

left to just wander in the never-ending darkness, just drifting. Forever. Death always won.

In the end, death is the only future; even before born, death already has the baby in its

grasp. A cold wind howls, as Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzamaki, both sacrifice

their lives to save their infant son Naruto, the village, and their friends from the terrorist

Madara Uchiha on October 10th. Madara had control of the Kyuubi, a Bijuu that took the

form of a nine tailed demon fox. Madara had a sore hatred for the village, Konohagakure,

the Village Hidden in the Leaves, as he was not picked to be their first Lord Hokage,

therefore, after losing to the first, fled in the night, and now nearly 50 yrs later, came

back, in order to destroy the village that had betrayed him.

He had waited until the time when the Kyuubi's seal was weakened; therefore he

struck the same night that Naruto was born. Minato put up a gallant fight, and managed to

save the infant from a certain death in Madara's hands, but in the end, Madara got

Kyuubi. Together Minato decided to use himself as a vessel for the Yin half of Kyuubi's

chakra, sealing the Yang within Naruto in hopes that one day, his son would learn to

control it.

Madara lost, escaped, and the Kyuubi was contained. The price was the life of

Kushina and Minato. The barrier that Minato had put up so that no one could interfere

shattered as soon as his heart stopped beating. They both fell to the ground, lifeless dolls.

Naruto began crying, when suddenly, his little face, all scrunched up to cry froze, as did

the ninjas who began to run towards their fallen Hokage, and in frenzy just as time

paused.

Literally.

A girl, stepped out from the shadows of the trees, and zipped up her jacket, shivering

slightly from standing in the cold for the whole fight, undetected by Minato or Kushina.

She walked over to Minato and Kushina. A small smile played at her lips, and a sad light

burned in her eyes. Her gaze shifted to Minato, whose ghost was staring down at his dead

body.

"Hello, you lovely ball of sunshine." said the girl, without looking up.

She sensed him give a start, and felt his eyes on her. "Y-You can … _see _me?" he

asked, tentatively, incredulously.

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" she replied casually.

"I don't understand, I gave my soul to Shinigami… at least… I thought I did…" he

said, staring at himself incredulously.

"Shinigami and I had a little chat, you're soul is no longer bound to him. You are

a free spirit. Pardon the pun." The strange girl explained calmly.

"I don't… get it… who are you… and where's Kushina?" he demanded.

The girl looked up at him. He looked the same as he had when he'd died, only

difference was he wasn't alive. " I'll tell you more about me after we get you all squared

away, and as for your wife, her soul might have gone someplace else." She said,

walking over to Naruto.

" A-are you dead… too?" he asked timidly.

The girl looked at him, and rolled her eyes. "Do I look dead?"

Minato looked confused, "Well, I guess I wouldn't know, considering this is my

first time you know, _being dead._"

The girl laughed, and her head was thinking that Kushina was still somewhere,

whether it was in this world… or another.

"Why is my son on pause?"

The girl looked up at Minato, whose face showed a mixture of

curiousness/fear/shock/slight anger.

"Well, I needed to pause time briefly." The girl said shrugging her shoulders.

"How are you so nonchalant about this? You're talking to my dead spirit, my son is on

pause, and my wife went to heaven without me… " Minato sputtered.

"Yes, yes, yes, well I am here to save your ninja ass, so you better stop your ghostly

wailing and get back in your body now. You see, you're only temporarily in that state;

you really aren't all dead. So congrats, you're mostly dead. Not all dead, which means, I

can still save you, because your brain is technically alive three minutes after your heart

stops and oh, just get in your body already." The girl said, pointing.

There was a pause, in which Minato just stared at her, until the girl finally said, "Can

you please hurry up? I can't keep this section of the world on pause forever you know."

"I don't get it. I'm dead. If I could just hop into my body, everyone would be doing

it."

"Yeah well, not everyone has me to bring them back. Now, hurry up, I'll explain it all

to you but you only have less than two minutes left."

"What the-" he began to sputter, thought a second about it, and then he laid down into

his body. "Good ghost." She said happily, clapping her hands together, she began to form

a bunch of complex signs, and Minato's whole body began to glow with a bluish tint. The

girl's face became serious, as she finished performing the signs, and a light engulfed both

her and Minato and then faded.

Some leaves surfed the wind, as it rustled through the trees, and Naruto's un-paused

wailing broke through the silence of the night. Ninja men and women surrounded the

lifeless bodies of Minato and Kushina, and a medical ninja confirmed both to be

deceased.

The girl watched all of the commotion going on, from a small lake on the outskirts

of a small town. She observed the Medical Ninja confirming the authenticity of the two

bodies, and breathed a sigh of relief. She had had her doubts that this could have been

pulled off so smoothly, and she was glad at the swiftness of Minato's decision. She

smiled to herself, a little wryly. Since it involved being able to live again, she had no

doubts there.

She looked up at the starry sky, and a few tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped them

away quickly, not wanting to let weakness make her let her guard down. She felt a

pulsing in her chest, a sign that Kushina was still alive. That was a task for tomorrow

though, and dipping her finger into the water, she watched as a couple that she knew

would find Kushina's sleeping figure in their garden. She'd left a note with Kushina. She

watched as the man, carried her in; with his wife worried and flowing close behind. After

that she turned away from the water. As long as Kushina was safe and knew what was

going on somewhat, she now needed to focus her attention on Minato. She had planned

for the couple to find Kushina, and she hoped that they could handle her when she woke

up. She'd think of when these two would meet again, but for now, she decided to keep

this tid bit of information to herself as to not cause any unnecessary stress on Minato's

delicate feelings at the moment.

She entered the tent and sat down next him, watching him sleep, and then she closed

her eyes. In this world, he would be safe from Madara or any ninja that could cause him

harm while he was in a weakened state. His breathing was still somewhat strained, so she

rested her hand over his heart, and small greenish light engulfed the area, and his haggard

breathing, slowed until it became smooth and tranquil.


	2. Chapter 1  What's a Poke'mon!

**Chapter 1**

I was in a dark place. I couldn't see anything but my own reflection, staring at me.

Truth be told, it freaked me out at first. When I spoke, all I heard was an eerie echo. I

thought to myself, _I must be in that intween place one's spirit goes before crossing over. _I

couldn't see her though. I wondered if my encounter with that peculiar girl was… just a

bad dream. I hoped that Madara was too, but something told me that that part… was very

real.

I felt a presence.

"Kushina?" I called out. My voice bounced around and then disappeared, as if

traveling down a long hallway, getting farther away from where I stood. I looked at

myself in that strange mirror. I looked the same, I was wearing my flaming toad sage

cloak, and my headband was still on; a hidden leaf symbol on the centerpiece of metal. I

looked at myself, and then, vaguely, as if in a daze, I felt an urge to touch the mirror. My

hand trembled, a few inches away from the glass, unsure what would happen. I felt the

hair on the back of my neck stand up, and I felt that I wasn't alone. I slowly turned

around, my heart beating like a drum, and it felt like my heart would stop for a second

time that very same night.

Its red eyes glared at me, a light of pure hatred shining in its cat-like slits. My mouth

went dry and I felt rooted to the spot. It let loose a blood curdling laugh, and my eyes

could only widen as one if its giant red-orange clawed hand-like paws swung towards

me. Suddenly, a bright white beam of light was shot from above between me and the Yin

Kyuubi which let loose a snarl of contempt and disappointment. I suddenly felt a pull at

my waist line and I shut my eyes tight, wanting the nauseating feeling to disappear. I felt

pressure on my shoulder.

Human pressure.

I opened my eyes quickly, and then realized something strange.

_I wasn't DEAD. _

Leaning over me was a girl, the same girl who I had encountered what felt like days

before. I sat up, and got a sudden woozy feeling, so that I had to lie back down again. I

groaned, and put my hand over my forehead, as a pulsating headache began its rounds on

the inside of my skull.

"Mornin' Sleeping Beauty." I heard the girl say, and opened my eyes to see her

grinning face. I was fatigued, but my guard instantly went up as I temporarily forgot

where I was or who she was as I attempted to make a break for it. My legs gave out from

soreness and I toppled only a couple feet from where I had been laying. I heard laughter

behind me and heat began creeping up to my face. I felt humiliated.

"Chillax. In your condition you couldn't outrun a toddler, much less a teenage ninja."

She giggled. My arms felt heavy, my legs felt heavy, my whole body felt like I had 10

ton of steel on top of me, and then it dawned to me the reason why. I shuddered as the

Yin Kyuubi's face leered in my memory. I had sealed the Yin half of Kyuubi within me,

so it was only natural that I feel this way. Unlike Kushina, who had been especially hand-

picked to control the Kyuubi, I was just an average ninja in comparison. I began to

wonder if I would have to spend the rest of my life just lying in this green tent, unable to

move but for a couple of feet.

"I'll be starting your training as soon as your more serious wound in your chest is

healed. So you will be able to move in a couple days." The girl said, smiling. My head

felt heavy, but I still managed to pull off a confused look.

"Did you just invade my mind?" I asked, on the offensive.

"Yep."

I stared at her. She said it so bluntly that I was taken aback. This wasn't good. If she

could read my mind then that meant that she'd learn Konoha's secrets, and I couldn't let

that happen. I'd rather-

"Ok, on NO account will you go committing suicide." She said suddenly annoyed. I

stared, and I glared at her. A pain shot up from my ribcage to my lungs and my hands

flew to my sides, and I crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily. "Idiot. Let's get one

thing cleared up. I didn't save your ninja hide just so you could go kill yourself, nor do I

have any intention of harming Konoha." She said, and I gasped for breath, unable to

respond.

Everywhere she touched, the pain went away, before I'd realized what had been done, I

was back on the sleeping bag, my head resting on two fluffed pillows. It was helping my

headache and I felt like if I opened my mouth I'd just end up throwing up whatever I'd

last ate so I kept my mouth tightly shut.

"Hmm, you took quite the hit from that Kyuubi, jumping right in front to block its

attack on Naruto. What an idiot." She was muttering to herself incomprehensibly.

With my eyes to the ceiling of the tent, I managed to gasp out, "Of course. He's… my

son… "

"I get that," she replied, "what I don't get, is why you couldn't just make up your

mind, or better yet, move the baby in the first place…."

"I… needed Naru..to… in … in order to… compl…complete the task…" I panted. The

pain was subsiding, but now I just felt tired.

"Still… Why the heck did the BOTH of you do that? If you'd just moved Naruto, then

you could've avoided being skewered by the Kyuubi." She replied.

My gaze shifted to her, and I could tell she was genuinely curious. I didn't feel like

explaining because just thinking about it hurt too much.

I wasn't sure if she'd read that thought or not, but she then said, "It's fine, I can choose to

read your mind when I want, don't worry, I won't do it… much."

"He's…. all that I have left… of… K-Kushina…" I choked out; cool tears began to

swell up under my closed eyelids, and a few runaway ones trickled down my cheeks. I

was quiet though, I wouldn't let myself cry out loud in front of a stranger. I heard a

rustling of a tent flap, and when I opened my eyes, I realized that the girl had gone and

was sitting outside. She'd left me alone and I didn't understand who she was, or what her

motives were, but right then, I was glad to be alone in that tent.

I drifted off, and would have slept longer, but for the smell of bacon sizzling

through the tent flap in what felt like centuries later. I shifted in the sleeping bag, and my

eyes fluttered open quickly, when I realized I was no longer in pain. The burning pain I'd

been feeling for a while; was gone.

I sat up, and stretched, feeling different from usual. I realized my chakra was more

faint, but figured it was just because I wasn't completely back to 100%. I did feel pretty

energized though, and found a change of clothes next to the pillows. I picked up the little

note settled on top, it read:

**You should probably change,**

**You're ninja clothes are kinda bloody.**

**When we get to the nearest Poke'mon Center, Then I'll ask if Nurse **

**Joy can't at least clean it. The shirt's bust, so I've already put that **

**away. Your Pants and cloak, you can pack those up in your **

**knapsack. After you've changed, please come on outside.**

**Breakfast, is waiting. **

**P.S. the bacon mite be burned slightly **

I had no idea what she was talking about regarding Poke' whatever but I felt my

stomach growling and decided that before I planned anything, eating didn't sound like

such a bad idea. It would also give me a chance to learn more about that girl.

Kushina…

I could still remember her smile. I could almost, touch her beautiful long red hair. I

blinked a few times. No… I had to be strong.

For the sake of the village.

I also… had to be strong… for Naruto, whom I would soon return to.

A few minutes later, I'd packed and changed, and I stepped outside and shadowed my

eyes with my hand; to stand against the glare of the sun which at this time of day was

directly overhead.

"He lives!" I heard her exclaim jokingly. I felt a light breeze ruffle my hair as it

passed by. I observed my surroundings. I could hear my heart beat. I pinched myself, just

to see if I was dreaming. A sharp pain answered my skepticness. It wasn't a dream, I

really was alive. That also meant… that Kushina… I shook my head a few times. I'd

already told myself that I had to be strong, but I didn't feel strong.

I was still a Ninja though. I was the Hokage, I couldn't forget that. I could only hope,

that until I got back, that Naruto would be taken care of by Sarutobi. I sadly, didn't trust

my Sensei, Jiraiya as much because of his weird obsession, although I didn't think he'd

be perverted around the baby. I could only hope. I saw the girl was humming to herself,

as she served out breakfast. _More of lunch I guess, _I thought, as I sat down.

I didn't sense anything particularly threatening from her, but I did have a lot of

questions that I wanted answered.

She sat cross-legged, not worried at all at my presence, completely unconcerned to

the fact that now that I physically felt much stronger, I could outrun her. Probably.

"I wouldn't do that." She stated.

I nearly choked on my bacon. Of course, she could read my mind.

"That's really annoying." I said disturbed.

"Now, is that any way to thank the one who saved you, by deciding to run away?"

She said, waving her arm at me, pointing.

"Ok, fine, thanks. Now can you please return me to my world or wherever we are?

I need to get back to the village." I said, looking at the bacon she'd placed in front of me.

"Did you _not _read the note?" she asked incredulously. I looked up at her, while

chewing as I remembered what she'd wrote. I gulped down the bacon, as it dawned on

me.

"… Wait… you were being serious? I- I'm not… in my world….?" I said, slowly. I

couldn't believe it. I didn't _want _to believe it. But the reality crashed down over me, and I

stood up suddenly, toppling the bottle of water next to me. I looked around, and all I

could see was that we were in the middle of a small clearing in the forest with trees, and

bushes, and apparently some little greenish mutant caterpillar with a horn on its forehead

and two beady eyes staring at me.

I did a double take.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT?_" I exclaimed, stumbling backwards, my eyes widening

in shock.

The girl continued to munch on her bacon, and without even glancing up, she just

responded "Oh, that's just my Caterpie, Buttercup. Say hi Buttercup."

To which the giant overgrown caterpillar responded with a "Piiiiiii."

My hand went instantly to where my kunai and scroll pouch would be, but when I

reached in, all I found, were some … balls?

"Ok, listen Minato-"

"How _DO _you know my name?"

"If you sit down, and try not to shish-kabob my Poke'mon, then I will explain

everything. Dammit, now SIT." She said, rolling her eyes at me.

I pulled out five small red and white balls and found some various kinds of orange

sized berries in the pouch as well. "Where are my Ninja tools?" I asked, as my heart

began to speed up.

"I threw them away."

I stared at her. "Threw…. Them… AWAY?" the last word was a shout as I glared at

her. "YOU IDIOT! I NEED THOSE TOOLS! What if some ENEMY COMES ALONG?

HUH!"

She just sighed and propping her chin up in her hand, just twirled some of her hair

while I glared at her, steaming. "Look," she finally said, "in the note, I clearly stated this

was the world of Poke'mon, otherwise known as Pocket Monsters. There are over 500

kinds-"

"_Over 5-500?_" I spluttered.

"Yep, and counting. Now anyways, in this world, I highly 100% doubt we will see _any _

ninja from your world in _this _world. Therefore, there was no need for you to go around

carrying those sharp tools. " she explained, and I couldn't help but feel as though she was

explaining it as if I were a little kid.

"Ok, ok, so you claim I have nothing to fear in this world regarding mine… but still,

_you didn't have to throw them away!_" I exclaimed.

"Sure I did, they're sharp. You might hurt yourself handling such precarious

weapons." She said, smirking.

I felt growl somewhere deep in my throat, but managed to suppress it. I had to stay

calm, especially if I expected to get the intel I needed about how to get back to my own

world. _I don't care if you're reading my mind, I plan on going back so there._ I glowered.

"Fine by me, didn't think I'd keep you here forever didja?" she replied, shrugging her

shoulders. "Unless of course you wanna stay?..."

"NO." I growled.

I clapped a hand over my mouth as soon as I'd said that: _Crap, I can't believe I'm _

_actually losing my cool around this completely strange girl._

"Better _believe it. _You're in my world now." She said grinning, and she took one of

the five balls from me, and tapped it. "Now this here, it's called a Poke'ball. It's used as a

way of transporting your Poke'mon with you. We can buy more at Poke'marts so, don't

think these are the only ones you'll have. And see here?" As she explained, she pressed

the white protruding button in the middle, and the small ball, grew to the size of two

softballs, combined, and despite all that happened, I couldn't help but think: _cool. _

"My… purpose… why did you save me?" I asked; the need to know burning. " Well…

truth be told, you were just too cute to leave alone." She said, giggling.

I stared.

"That…are you by any chance a stalker?…." I asked disturbed, backing away;

eyeing her suspiciously.

She just laughed at my response, and I saw her little bug thing wiggle happily, obviously

laughing with her.

"Pfffft, wo~w Minato, wo~ow." She laughed, and I noticed she didn't use honorifics

in my name, even though she was younger than me. "Oh that? That's just 'cause I'm not

Japanese origin like you are."

"…Huh?" I asked.

"Well… truthfully… you and I don't exist in a sense."

I stared at her, completely stumped and I felt a migraine coming on.

"But," she said clapping her hands together happily, "That's to be explained later,

right now, the day is young, and you and I aren't getting any younger sitting here. Let's

see…"

She pulled out a map from her own little pouch and unfolded it. I wondered if she knew

what she was doing, but after a few minutes of her mumbling and turning the map every

which way, I began to wonder if she even knew _how _to read a map. I still hadn't ruled her

out as a stalker yet. My gut was telling me that I was stuck with her, and my stomach

knotted at my fate. Also, that bug thing, Caterpie, creeped me out with its eyes staring at

me.

"OH!" she suddenly exclaimed, and she pulled out a Poke'ball and pointed it at the

bug Poke'mon. "Return!" she said, and I watched distracted and amazed as a flash of red

light shot out of the middle of the white button, and surrounded the Poke'mon, and then

the flash disappeared, taking it with it. _How does she know which Poke'ball to use? _I

wondered.

"Well, I label my Poke'balls so it helps, but also, if you look at the red part here, you

can see the kind of Poke'mon it is." I saw the smaller version of the Caterpie, asleep in its

Poke'ball, and then closed my eyes.

"Day's just gettin' started." She said, happily. "You can pack up the tent; I'll take care

of the cooking stuff. Oh and, I'm not a stalker."

"I feel so much more secure knowing that my life is not in the hands of a potential

stalker." I grumbled, embarrassed since she could read my thoughts. I figured at the

moment I didn't sense any sort of danger nearby; I helped with the tent. A thought

occurred to me as I was going through all the information I had so far about my

whereabouts. "Do you… still have normal animals in this world?" I asked tentatively.

"Hm… I honestly don't know. I haven't seen any where I've been." She replied and

zipped up her pack. "Then…. What was that bacon… made of?" I asked, starting to feel a

little nauseas.

"Spoink."

I looked at her, seeing if she'd just made up a word on purpose to annoy me, but I knew

she wasn't lying from her eyes. "Wait…. You… eat _Poke'mon_?" I stammered; my throat

dry.

She cocked her head to the side, looking at me curiously.

"Well, yeah, I'm an omnivore. See, in this world, there are Poke'mon for battling,

right? Bonding and all that fun stuff. Then, there are Poke'mon just kept as pets, or Wild

Poke'mon. After that, comes the grub'mons. It's basically like in your world, with cows

and pigs and fish. It's just here, we have Poke'mon instead. It's ok if you're not used to

it. I had trouble at first too, but hey, that bacon was good right?" she said brightly, giving

me a thumbs up.

I felt like saying; _I'll let you know when I throw it up; _but bit my tongue instead.

Something clicked and I asked, "Wait, you said, 'I had trouble at first too'; what do

you mean by that? Weren't you born here?"

She pondered that for a minute, shrugged her shoulders again, and simply said, "In a

sense yes. Reality, no." I'm pretty sure my face looked stupid, but I felt completely

puzzled. Then again, I was still in shock that I was even alive in the first place. My gut

instinct seemed to tell me, stick with the girl, but I didn't even know her name.

"You can call me Alu." She responded, looking over her shoulder at me from where

she was picking some flowers. "Alu?... That's definitely not a name you hear every

day…" I said politely. I wondered if she could read what I was thinking about her

invading my privacy, _again, _and a small smile from her told me yes, she could definitely

hear my thought process.

"Ok, we are currently in Viridian Forest, and our first stop will actually be, Viridian

city." She walked over, showing me the map and I saw that Viridian Forest didn't look so

big from the Map point of view, but looking at all the trees, made it feel much bigger.

"But first, we need for you to pick a starter Poke'mon." Alu said, looking at me

directly. I looked to both sides, but knew her eyes were on me. "My own?... Pocket

Monster?" I asked.

"Yep. Here are your three choices," She said as she took out three Poke'balls and

threw them in the air. "Come on out, gang!" she called and all three Poke'balls opened

up, and three flashes of red light lit up the space between me and her, and when it faded,

three of the most peculiar creatures were in front of me. One looked like a small orange

salamander, with red eyes and little fangs that kept going, "Charr, charrr." I noticed it had

a flame on the tip of its tail, and it was a miracle how nothing caught fire from the way

that tail was swishing every which way. The second creature looked like a blue turtle,

with red eyes as well, and a swirly tail. It kept going, "Squirt, squiirrtle." I wondered if

these creatures, could only say their names. "Yep, the first two are Charmander, a fire

lizard, and Squirtle, a well you know. Turtle." The last one caught my attention the most.

It was green, with a giant Bulb on its back, and its red eyes were different from the first

two. Its pupils were white, not black. It had three small white sharp looking claws per

foot, and darker green splotches on it. On its forehead, one of the two splotches looked

almost like a roundish diamond. It had fangs, and kept saying, "Bulba, Bulbasaaauur."

So, I figured it was a Bulbasaur.

This was all so overwhelming, but I wondered if maybe, having a partner Poke'mon

wouldn't be such a bad idea… in fact… I was getting more and more curious about this

"world" I was in.

"That's the spirit!" The girl said jubilantly, "now, you can only have one of these

three newly hatched starter Poke'mon of this particular region. The Kanto region it's

called. I'll give away the two starters that aren't picked. In fact, I'll have my very own

partner battle your choice, so you and your Poke'mon can both gain some experience,

together."

"Buttercup wasn't your starter?" I asked surprised.

"Nope, she was the third Poke'mon I caught with my starter though." Alu said, grinning.

"Go on, take your pick of the lot."

I looked at all of them, but I had no idea which one to pick. I decided that I'd pick

based on element. As I was pondering, Alu said jokingly, "Gosh, you're taking about as

long as when you were asleep to pick."

"It wasn't that long, I was probably asleep for a few days at most." I responded. I was

sure I hadn't been out too long.

"If you count two weeks as not that long then ok." She said, grinning.

"Wait… _two weeks?_" I exclaimed shocked. That couldn't be right…. then again… I

had been in and out a lot of the time.

"Mmmm… oook… maybe just one week, slight exaggeration, heh." She said

sheepishly.

"That's some slight exaggeration." I replied, brushing it off lightly. The three

elemental creatures stared up at me, and my eyes kept wandering between the fire type

and the green dinosaur looking one.

"Squirtle! Squuiirt!" said Squirtle and it tugged at my leg. I sat cross-legged, and the

other two crowded around me, calling their names.

-"Bulbaaaa!"-

-"Chaarrr! maanderr"-

-"Squuiiirrtle! Squuirrtle ! squirt!"-

I couldn't help but smile. They reminded me of children almost, and I almost wished I

didn't have to just pick one.

"These aren't the only ones of their kind, actually, there are many of them. Actually,

the starters that don't get picked, we should bring it to Pallet Town, to Proffessor Oak. He

can give it to another beginner trainer. The trainers here are 10 when they start."

Alu rambled, as she talked about the various cities we'd go to and something about

Poke'mon gym battles.

"Whoa, 10? That's…. kinda young isn't it?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"So? You become an official ninja at 12, you don't think that's strange?" she replied.

"Toushe." I shrugged.

I reached out a hand to pet them. They all eagerly headbutted my hand playfully, and

I laughed.

My hand froze.

Madara, the Kyuubi, it all seemed so far away, but Kushina and Naruto, they both

bore fresh in my mind. Here I was, sitting on the ground, petting these creatures with

elemental powers, while Kushina was…. dead… and Naruto… Fatherless… and the

Village… I didn't know if the Village knew if I was dead or not….

"Don't worry, they think you are dead. You don't have to worry about being branded a

rogue now and as for Naruto…. If you… really want to see your son… then I'll show you

how later, but for now, let me help you pick a starter."

Her voice was gentle, and I felt that, I could trust her… somewhat. Still, it hurt, and

I pulled my hand away. I was alive…. I wasn't dead… this girl… Alu… she saved me…

I knew that my "cuteness" wasn't the whole reason why she saved me. At least, I don't

think it was. But why not my wife... and why was I in this world anyways? I was all

healed… I could go back now.

"You think of a lot of questions, you know that?" Alu grumbled loud enough for

me to hear.

"You invade my mind, you know that?" I retorted. I felt small claws on my knee,

and looked down to see Bulbasaur, looking up at me. "Bulba? Bulbaa…sauur." It said; its

tone one of worry. I felt an instant connection with it. Maybe it was because I'm from the

Village Hidden in the Leaves, but I felt a connection to this earth type. "Actually, it's a

grass type, but you were close." Alu said matter of factly.

"I choose Bulbasaur." I said finally, and Alu nodded approvingly. "Interesting

choice, I thought for sure you might actually go with Charmander, since, you know,

you're from the Fire country."

"Charrr! Charr!"

The Orange Fire lizard began to cry, and I watched as Alu soothed it with what

appeared to be a shell. "This is a Shell-bell. Basically, you can give it to a Poke'mon and

it will make it friendlier and soothe it."

"Here is Bulbasaur's Poke'ball, and here is a Poke'dex." She said, and she handed

me its ball and a small red, round edged but also rectangular object, with a blue light on

the top. It beeped to life and the blue light flashed as a man's robotic voice said:

"Welcome, this is a Poke'dex, a portable Poke'mon Dictionary. I am Dexter, and I will

be your guide and know-how when it comes to Poke'mon." I flipped it open, and saw a

bunch of data run up the screen. A small hologram shot up from the main top screen, and

a picture of Bulbasaur appeared. "Bulbasaur, the seed Poke'mon. It stores Nutrients in its

Bud, and has a calm temper. It's a peacemaker and the easiest to raise out of the three

starter Poke'mon. It can be found in areas of plentiful greens and gardens although it is

rarely seen in the wild and is quite difficult to catch. Scientists are still unsure whether to

classify this creature as an animal or a plant."

"This Dexter is handy." I said, intrigued. "Bulba! Bulbasaurrr." My starter said, happily.

A blue beam of light shot from Dex, and scanned it. "Moves known: Growl, Tackle,

leech seed." Dexter said.

"Thanks." I said.

"You're most welcome." It responded.

I looked at it. "It talked to me…" I said, dumbstruck.

"Well yeah… it's programmed that way. It's a newer version. V3 it's called. It comes

in different colors, mine's teal." She returned the water turtle and fire lizard to their

balls, and then she showed me hers; a female voice came out of hers. "My name is

Dextia, and I am your Poke'mon Guide." It said. "Hey Dextia, can you tell us

approximately how long it's gonna take us to get to Viridian City?" Alu asked it.

"According to my calculations, it should take about three hours given that you don't get

distracted and go chasing after some random Poke'mon again." its tone sounded angry,

and I stifled a laugh. I saw her face turn red, as she stuffed the Dexter back into her bag.

"Uuh, what she means is, every time you catch a Poke'mon, you can register it into your

Poke'dex." She explained.

"Uh-huh. I thought she was telling you not to get distracted." I said, smiling.

"Yeah well, I had the rotten luck of having mine programmed with attitude." Alu said

defensively.

I put up my hands, "No need to get defensive," I said, "It's about a 3 hour walk right?

We should probably get started. Of course, since we're ninja… it shouldn't take us as

long."

"Oh yeah… funny you should mention… that… being ninja and all… that…" she

began.

I looked at her suspiciously. "Alu… what do you mean?..."

"Well… truth is... Your ninja powers are sealed."

I let that sink in.

"My… chakra… is…. _sealed?_" I echoed, and I think I did an eye twitch.

"Yep. But hey, you have two feet, it wouldn't kill ya to be normal once in a

while." She said quickly.

"… For how long?" I asked, keeping my voice level, although my hands balled into

fists at my sides.

"Er… the whole journey here…." she said, her voice shrinking.

"… And how long is that?"

"…."

"Alu…"

"Alright already! It's about 12 years…. Give or take… a few months…"

"TWELVE YEARS?" I hollered. I usually don't use foul language but this… was

too much.


	3. Chapter 2 Lessons Learning

Chapter II

Alu whistled as she starting walking off ahead fast. Minato's dumbstruck look turned

to anger, as he grabbed her by her pack.

"Alu! Explain!"

"Oook…. Weeell… see, since it would attract unwanted attention if you went all ninja

here, I sealed your chakra along with Kyu's." she explained.

"Kyu? Did you just name the Demon fox?" Asked Minato still angry.

"Please don't call it a demon. It's not the fox's fault that you ninja are such

dumbasses when it comes to the Bijuu, the tailed beasts." Alu said; her expression

annoyed.

"Alu, the tailed beasts are dangerous! When loose, you know the damage they can

do!" Minato growled.

"Well, maybe if you guys didn't SCARE them, they wouldn't have to be so BIG to

PROTECT themselves FROM YOU." Alu glared, shooting back.

"THE NINE-TAILS TRIED TO DESTROY MY VILLAGE AND KILL

KUSHINA AND NARUTO."

"YOU KNOW THAT MADARA WAS CONTROLLING IT WITH HIS

TWISTED OCULAR NINJUTSU!"

Bulbasaur looked back and forth between the two, as they glared at each other.

"Bulba…. Bulba… SAUUURRRR." Bulbasaur started to cry, and Alu tried to comfort it.

"There, there, see? Fighting over, please don't cry…"

"Why not give it another one of those bells?" Minato said, his tone still with a note of

anger.

"Cause I only had one on me."

Minato bent down and opened his arms. Bulbasaur leapt into his arms, and rubbed

its face against his chest. It sniffled and Minato just kept patting it, and holding it, just

like a baby.

"Look… you have your opinions on the Bijuu… and I have mine… let's not fight

right now… I feel bad for making poor Bulbasaur cry…" Alu said, tentatively; softly.

Minato looked at her face and saw that she truly felt remorse, and his anger evaporated.

She was just an angsty teenager with her own set of beliefs. It wasn't like he could force

her to see things his way. He sighed saying softly, "I guess we both… sort of got a little

mad… I just… feel weaker without my chakra…"

"Do you?" Alu asked.

"Well…. yeah… I mean…. without my chakra… I'm… defenseless…" Minato

explained calmly.

Alu cocked her head to the side, and Minato figured she'd do that a lot whenever she

was in thought. Alu thought about it, and finally countered, "Well, there are plenty of

non-ninja that are anything but weak. If you feel so… defenseless, then maybe you can

learn some martial arts or something."

"I learned all that at Ninja Academy, it's just different without chakra." Minato said,

holding Bulbasaur gently. Bulbasaur rubbed its face into his jacket, and Minato patted

Bulbasaur somewhat clumsily, because it was wriggling, on the head.

Alu wondered if she should warn him that there were many multiple tailed Poke'mon

in this world; but then she decided it'd be more fun to see his expression when he learned

that on his own. She grinned to herself and chuckled.

"Well, I guess walking never hurt anybody…" Minato commented, and he put

Bulbasaur down, and it ran around his feet. "You were kidding about it being 12 years

right?"

"…."

"_**ALU?**_"

"I never said I was kidding... but , but _hold it!_**" **Alu said quickly, as she saw a vein on

Minato's forehead twitch. "The time here, and there is different. So… 12 years in your

world would only be about… six here… about half."

"That's still a long time before I can go back…" Minato said annoyed.

"Look, I know… it must be frustrating… you know I'm your only way back… so you are

kinda… sorta….. stuck with me."

"Thanks for the reminder…" Minato groaned.

"Heeey, come on… it's not so bad, trust me, this world will keep you busy… and

before you know it…. before you know it…." Alu trailed off.

A sad light shone in her eyes again, but she quickly put on a happy face before

Minato noticed; he had gotten distracted by Bulbasaur's headbutting his leg playfully. 

"And… you're my _only _way back?"

"Yep."

"… that's… refreshing…."

"Better _**Believe it.**_" Alu said grinning.

"I've only heard that phrase twice, and it's already annoying. Please stop." Minato

complained.

Alu smiled to herself. If only he knew who started that catch phrase in the first

place. She giggled. Minato looked at her strangely, and then turned and began walking

down the forest path into the grove of trees. "Uhm, Minato… it's the other way…" Alu

called out to him. Minato's foot paused in the air; then he swiveled, and began marching

in the direction Alu pointed. "Let's get going. It's a three hour walk. Time's a-wasting

away." He said, although his face held a faint flush from embarrassment.

As they walked a few hours later, Bulbasaur sensed something, and it let loose

with a little cry of "BULLBAAA!" and then ran into the bushes. Minato quickly

followed, and twigs and leaves snapped under him. Alu groaned, for she had been

complaining about the heat for an hour, and now she had to run to keep up with Minato;

who even without chakra to boost his speed, was still pretty fast.

"Bulbasaur! Come back!" Minato shouted, and he reached into his pouch for the

Poke'ball. "Return!" he shouted. The flash of red light shot off into the bushes, but no

Poke'mon returned with it. "Why isn't it working!" he shouted, turning his head to the

side, to look at Alu. A look of complete bewilderment was sketched on his face.

" Cause Bulbasaur is too far away right now! RUN FASTER!" Alu exclaimed. She

passed by Minato and took the lead, in pursuit of the running grass type.

"I SEE IT!" he shouted excitedly and he and Alu crashed into a small clearing. In

front of them, was Bulbasaur, and it was facing off to a … Caterpie?

"Bulba! Bulbasaurr! "

"PIIII! CATERPIIII!"

"Well Minato, looks like your gonna havta battle it. Bulbasaur seems like it's totally

psyched for this match." Alu said, grinning.

"I don't know how this works!" he panicked.

"Oh that's right huh? Haha, I forgot to have that practice match with you. Musta

slipped my mind." Alu laughed. Minato groaned.

"OH RIGHT! DEXTER!" he pulled it out, and heard: "Caterpie, the small

caterpillar Poke'mon. Caterpies live in areas of growth and can often be found in forests,

or in large grassy areas. Majority can be found in Viridian Forest. Moves known : tackle,

stringshot. This one appears just about ready to evolve."

"Evolve?" Minato asked.

"Oh yea, all Poke'mon have 2-3 stages in which they can evolve. When they

evolve, their appearance changes, and they get stronger. It's pretty cool. But, if you don't

want your Poke'mon to evolve, either they will choose not to by themselves, or you can

give them an Everstone." Alu stated.

"Since Bulbasaur knows tackle, that would be its strongest Normal attack. The only

grass attack right now would be Leech seed. Leech seed basically just -"

Minato cut her off by saying, "Ok... why don't you fight and show me how it's done?"

"-it just basically drains the opponent bit by bit. The Poke'mon doesn't die from

battling, they have certain stamina just for battling, and when it goes down, so does the

Poke'mon." She continued, then adding, "And no, you will battle. You need some

experience."

"Fine then. I _will._" Minato muttered heatedly. "Alright Bulbasaur, let's do this! Go

use Tackle!" and he watched in amazement as the little green creature followed his

command. "Bullbaa!" it exclaimed as it made impact.

"PIIIII!" retaliated the bug creature. It had physical marks showing it was weakened,

but then it let loose a small white silk looking attack that tied up Bulbasaur.

"Nice, that was string shot." Alu said, and she sat down with an apple. Minato's

expression became one of -what the heck are you doing sitting down in the middle of my

first match, eating an APPLE; to which Alu shrugged and took another bite. Minato's

face became serious and he ran out to help Bulbasaur. He tried to untie the silk, but it was

a lot stickier and webbier than he'd thought. He heard another battle cry from the bug and

next thing he knew, he was all trussed up too. " Crap!" he yelled. He heard laughter and

saw the girl rolling on the ground, cracking up. "Oh man, oh man, oh man, that was an

EPIC FAIL. You just got Pwned by a bug. Hahhahaa."

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Minato looked at his partner, who was chewing at the stringshot,

and Minato was able to free himself. "Thanks for nothing!" he yelled at Alu. Alu just

waved at him.

"~Anytime my friend~" she sang.

All of a sudden, a flash came out of the Poke'ball in Alu's pouch. "Charrr!"

exclaimed the little Fire type. "CHARRR!" it let loose small embers which pelted the

Caterpie. "Charr! Charrrmander!" it exclaimed. "Bulba!Bulbasauur!" responded the

Bulbasaur. "Well whatd'ya know… looks like somebody got the _hots _for you." She

cracked up at her joke.

Minato wasn't very good at this, but even he could tell that a fire type versus a bug

type… "Bulbasaur! Charmander! Will you two BOTH battle with me!" he said. Alu

watched as two more caterpies and even a Butterfree joined in. "Bulbasaur! Go use tackle

on the three Caterpie, and Charmander go! Use EMBER on that mutant Butterfly!"

"It's called a Butterfree!" Alu called out.

"I don't care what it's called...long as it goes away!" Minato retorted.

Alu watched them fight and smiled to herself. Without knowing it, Minato already

seemed to have gained some experience. At least that meant he'd been listening, she

thought. Well, maybe he was a fast learner, after all; he seemed to get the hang of it

almost instantly. All she had to do… was give him a little push and the rest…. Unfolded

itself. She wondered if she would be able to give away the two other starters now…

maybe she could just give them all to Minato… his official choice was Bulbasaur, but

that didn't mean it had to be his only choice.

"Yo Minato!" she called.

"WHAT!" he yelled back.

"HI!"

"…." Insert shadowed face of doom/rage here - -

The three Caterpies fainted, along with the Butterfree. "BULBA!" Bulbasaur

exclaimed happily. It ran around in circles with Charmander playfully. "Hey, check and

see if Bulbasaur and Charmander learned any new moves." Alu said, pointing at his

Poke'dex. "New moves?... guess that makes some sense." Minato said, flipping it out;

"Bulbasaur, moves: tackle, leech seed, growl, _vine whip._"

"Huh… vine whip. That's definitely new. Ok, onto Charmander…" Minato scanned

Charmander's data into Dexter, and then listened to what it said. "Smokescreen? That's

not …deadly is it?"

"Nope, it just lowers your opponent's ability to hit you. It's like the Pg version of your

ninja smoke which actually does kill." Alu said, and she stood up, stretched and then

yawned. "Ya see Minato?" she said, "toldja you could do it. As for Charmander… why

not just keep it? It seems to have a heated passion for you anyways. Haha."

The small Charmander glomped onto Minato's leg; Minato sighed. He then bent

down, with a Poke'ball, and asked it, "Do you want to be one of my Poke'mon?"

"CHARRRRR!" it replied happily. Alu grinned happily. She saw a smile tugging at the

corners of Minato's mouth, until finally both Poke'mon toppled him, and he was flopped

on his back. Laughter erupted and both trainers and Poke'mon laughed.

Minato sat up, and took out the two Poke'balls. "Bulbasaur, Charmander, can you

two please return to your balls for now?" he asked them. Alu watched him curiously. She

normally would just say return, she thought how funny it was, that he was asking

permission. Then again, this was Minato.

A flash of red light, and an hour later, both finally got to Viridian City. Minato

whistled. "Whoa… I've been to some Cities while I was a Jonin… but wow… this one

looks different…" Minato commented, looking around. There was Poke' symbols

around on every store, and Alu steered him towards the big building with a Poke'ball on

top. "This is called the Poke'mon Center. Basically, every city or small town has them,

and you can get your Poke'mon healed here. Oh yeah, all the Nurse Joys here, share a

similar family lineage if ya get what I mean. After you get your Poke'mon healed, I'll

show you the Poke'mart. You need to know what sort of things you'll have to buy and

stuff." Alu said, as the two automatic doors slid open. Minato's eyes widened, as he saw

a bunch of Nurse Joys, _that all looked the same. _

"Yo! Nurse JOY!" waved Alu to one of them. Minato wondered how that one knew

it was the right one. She like all the rest, had pink hair, and it was tied in the front in two

loop like rings which disappeared under her nurse's white cap with a red cross on it. Her

eyes were an intense blue, and her outfit was different from any he'd ever seen. It was

white, with short puffed out sleeves, and underneath the white apron was what appeared

to be a pink dress. His eyes trailed over to what was behind her. It was a giant pink round

egg with what appeared to be… three tentacles on each side of its face. "CHANSEEY." It

trilled, which startled him. "Whoa… uh… is that…an _egg _in its pouch?" he asked,

noticing a giant brown and white zigzagged egg for the first time being nestled in the

center of the Poke'mon's belly.

A harmonic voice answered him. "Yes, this is Chansey, she is carrying an egg for

another trainer who lives nearby. We are currently hoping to see it hatch within the next

few days." Minato looked up at Nurse Joy. "This is a Poke'mon egg?" he asked

incredulously. Turning to Alu he asked, "Do all Poke'mon come from these?"

Alu laughed, noticing a look of confusion on Nurse Joy's face and she quickly said,

"Oh Minato, you KIDDER." Thumping him so hard on the back he went *Gak*

"He's such a funny guy. Right? Of _course he already knows all Poke'mon come from _

_eggs. I mean, you'd have to be an IDIOT not to know that._" She said grinning. Minato's

eyes swelled with pain tears, but he shook his head quickly, disposing of the few drops.

"ALU! You didn't havta do that!" he said angrily.

"I'm sorry for her… er.. strangeness….are you alright Minato?" asked Nurse Joy as

she extended out a helping hand. Minato took it gratefully. "I'll live… I've had worse."

He said disgruntled.

"He's been through a lot. I think a rock might've hit him on the head or

something." Alu said, putting her hands behind her head, and stretching her elbows.

"Anyways~ he needs to have you look at two of his Poke'mon. Is there enough time for

healing with the machine?" she asked. Minato looked at what she was pointing to. It

appeared to be a wide machine, with six holes at most, and a scanner above it. Another

Nurse Joy had taken a teenager's Poke'balls, and set them on the holes, and they all lit up

and then a few seconds later she smiled and handed them all back to the kid.

"May I see your Trainer ID?" Nurse Joy asked Minato. "My what?" he said,

offhandedly as he was preoccupied with taking in everything that was going on.

"I have it, here it is." Alu said, covering once again for his lack of knowledge. She

knew it was partly her fault because she'd forgotten to tell him about a few things like

eggs and trainer cards. Nurse Joy smiled and then asked if Minato could take out his

Poke'mon. A few seconds later, Bulbasaur and Charmander were out and looking around

curiously. "They're both so cute." Nurse Joy commented, petting them both.

"They both don't seem to be particularly injured too badly, so Chansey, sweetie, can

you use heal bell?" Nurse Joy asked, turning to her helper. "SII!" it nodded and a small

bell appeared and a harmonic melody emitted from it, and both Poke'mon glowed and

when the glow faded, both were fully healed.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Alu said, and then she pulled out the Poke'ball with Squirtle in

it. "Can you give this to Professor Oak for us? I need to get to Pewter city, so Minato can

have his first Gym battle in this region. He comes from a different region. Far, Far away."

Alu said, while ignoring Minato's glare.

"Wait, hold on, you're just gonna give it away?" he asked suddenly.

Alu looked up at him, and shrugged saying, "Well yeah… maybe he can raise it for

another trainer. It's only been hatched for a few days, it actually hatched last of the three,

so it's still legible for a beginner trainer who might've slept in late and missed his/her

chance to get a first Poke'mon."

"You mean there is only THREE?" he asked.

"Yep. Basically you snooze, you lose."

"Oh…. Well…" Alu watched as Minato tried to sort things out, and finally she said,

"Minato… this doesn't usually happen… I mean, being able to get all three starters at

once… but… do you think you can handle raising and training three Poke'mon at once

right now?"

Minato looked at the Poke'ball in her hand, remembering about how eager that small

turtle was, and how compared to the other two, how delicate it was. Since it wasn't wild,

it wouldn't be hard to raise it, and having the three elements, fire, water, and grass/earth,

didn't seem like such a bad idea to him.

_Wait, slow down a minute here… _he thought. My first priority should be to get back

to my world… but Alu had even said that that would be impossible without her, and with

his chakra sealed… his heart sank and rested somewhere by his bladder. He was stuck

here, but he decided, he was alive, and he might as well make the best of this unplanned

turn of events. _Kushina… Naruto…_he thought, _I don't know… why I am alive, I still don't _

_understand this girl, Alu's thought process, but one thing I do know. I will return home. _

_Somehow. For the time being, I have no choice but to remain here. This world that I _

_never dreamed of, actually exists, I might as well learn as much about it as I can, while _

_I'm held captive here. _

He heard Alu snort, and remembered that she could read his mind. He didn't care

right now though. "Yes, I will be the water turtle's trainer… if I may." He said strongly.

As soon as he said that, the Poke'ball opened up and out came the turtle. "Squuirrtle!" it

said happily and leapt into his arms. He quickly and agilely caught it, and the other two

ran around his feet. "Well look at you, Mr. Poke'day-care." Alu and Nurse Joy laughed.

Alu was thinking herself, about how well and how swiftly things were going. She hoped

that she could gain his trust somehow…

"Wait… you never planned on giving it away… did you?" Minato asked in

realization.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, all that I know, is that that's not necessary

anymore." Alu said, putting her hands behind her head again in a laid back way, while

grinning devilishly at Minato.

"Alright, pack it up. We gotta get to the Poke'mart." Alu said, handing Squirtle's

Poke'ball to Minato. Minato took it, cautious like, and he returned the three Poke'mon to

their respective balls, and put them away in his pouch. "Why don't you give your

Poke'mon a checkup?" he asked.

Alu knew he was curious to see what kinds of Poke'mon she had, and she was

glad. She wasn't going to show him them all right now, but as long as he was curious

about this world, she hoped it would lessen the sadness that she was feeling from him that

he didn't even know was there when distracted.

"Well, wouldn't you like to know." She said, grinning teasingly.

"Yes, I would actually." He replied coolly.

"Well… time to go. Bye Nurse Joy!" Alu said happily, waving as she left. Minato

sprinted to catch up to her as she speed walked to the blue building called the Poke'mart.

"Hey! You don't have to go so fast!" he called about 12 steps behind.

"Either I'm really fast, or you're really slow." Alu called back, giggling.

"Either way, we'll still get there at the same time." He pointed out.

"True. Very true." Alu acknowledged.


	4. Chapter 3 Staying strong

~CHAPTER *** III~

I watched her as she picked the Potions, which she'd told me were for healing some of the damage done to Poke'mon and get some more red and white Poke'balls. I was still a little humiliated at being hit in the back, which by the way, still felt sore, and wondered why I had to be stuck with her. It wasn't all bad I mused. I had gotten three creatures called Poke'mon out of this whole ordeal, although I wondered what would happen to them when I returned; apparently Alu said I had six years to ponder that one.

"Alu, can I see that map of the Kanto region?" I asked. I figured while she was dawdling I might as well get some work done.

"Sure, I wasn't wrong. You do have a pretty good memory." She said, as she unzipped her pack. The worker behind the counter laid out the six new balls, and was rummaging for some other Poke' items that Alu was buying.

"Thanks," I said as I took the Map, "I'll wait outside."

She looked at me for a few seconds, and after I assured her mentally, that no, I didn't plan on running off; she smiled and turned back to the goods. I sighed. It was hard being around someone who could hear your thoughts. I wondered what this special training was to help me fight against Madara. My hair prickled as I thought of him. I hated his guts. I knew the story, the whole village did. Why… why did it have to be Kushina who had to be hurt by that evil man? I shook my head, no, I wouldn't cry. Tears were pointless. They didn't get the job done.

I decided that that girl would explain it to me when the time came for it. Right now, I decided to see how long it would take to get to the first gym. My expression changed to one of impending doom as I saw how far Pewter city was. We'd have to backtrack and go back through Viridian Forest to get there. My eyebrow twitched.

"Alu..." I grumbled, my blue eyes blazing. "Oh, hey dumb blonde." She said casually. "GAh. I'm NOT a DUMB BLONDE." I said, pissed. "Look, LOOK at THIS." I showed her the map.

"…your point?" she asked, confused.

"My point is we could've gone to a Poke'mon center in Pewter city. There was no need to come back here." I said, figuring it'd be at least a day's walk to Pewter city now.

"Well, I figured we could lodge here, and then go to Pallet town…" she said, shrugging.

"… I thought we were going straight to Pewter city…" I grumbled. I was annoyed at her uncanny knack of being so loose about everything. I was a go-getter sort of guy. I wanted to get the task done then, not procrastinate like her.

"There's no rush silly." She said, raising her eyebrows at me.

"… " I responded.

"Well, if you really want to go to Pewter city so bad, then… I don't any problem with it. It'll just give us some more training time in the forest." Alu said, grinning and already probably planning some new way of getting me all tied up in a Poke'mon match.

"It won't be like last time." I said annoyed, while looking at her. She just laughed and skipped by me. "Are you kiddin' me? That was classic." She cracked up and continued to skip on ahead of me. I sighed, and finally resigned myself to the fact that yes, my life, was gonna be hell.

Camp was set up for the night, as the stars drew in. I decided to try to use Charmander's ember attack to light a small fire, but after nearly burning the tent, decided to just have it dip its tail onto the wood. Alu was off training with her Poke'mon that she'd brought with her. I was curious and wanted to see what kinds they were, but she'd put me in charge of dinner duty. I took out some packages of Poke'chow and opened up three small plastic containers that could unfold easily, and put some in each one. All three of my Poke'mon happily munched, while I was in charge of making soup. I wasn't sure about how I felt about eating meat from a Poke'mon right now, so Alu suggested that Vegetable soup was just as fine.

I had one helluva time trying to understand her directions. My brain hurt just thinking about it. She made such a simple task into such a big life vs. death ordeal.

"Yummy yum yum..." Alu said approvingly, as she burst through the clearing. My heart was beating fast. That's another thing I hated. Without my chakra, I couldn't sense if anyone else was nearby. "Relax man, tomorrow, the real training begins." Alu said, stretching.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Naruto!" I said, turning to her. "You said that you'd let me see Naruto, well I want to see him as soon as possible."

She had flopped down onto her sleeping bag which was by the soup, and she turned a sleepy eye to me. "Sure, sure. In the morning…" she mumbled. She was dead-beat tired; all I wanted right then though, was to at least know Naruto was ok. I began thinking of his name, over and over. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, _NARUTO, N-A-R-U-T-_

Alu finally sat up grumbling, "Alright, alright already. Sheesh."

I made a happy face in my mind to which Alu groaned. Maybe her ability to read my mind wasn't _so_ bad.

"Can we at least eat first?" she asked.

I figured that was reasonable, so I didn't object.

After eating, she called out one of her Poke'mon for the first time. "I choose you, Abby!"

This Abby, was a goldenish yellow, and its eyes appeared to be closed. It had two toes and a back toe like a bird's. Although it had no claws on its feet, its three fingers appeared to look claw like. It had brown shoulders and part of its chest was brown. It had two small triangular ears and a small snout that came out a bit. It had a big round tail, which became somewhat triangular at the tip, with a single brown ring near the end. I pulled out my Poke'dex. "Abra, the Psi Poke'mon. Abra can sleep up to 18 hours a day. When it senses danger, it has the ability to teleport itself to safety, and it can evoke the illusion that it has made copies of itself. This Poke'mon can also read minds and can sense its opponent's emotions."

"IT can read minds too?" I groaned.

Alu laughed. "Don't worry, that's not why I called it out here. Abby, can you use your Psi powers and clean up dinner?" Alu asked it.

"You nick-named your Poke'mon?" I asked surprised.

"Well yeah, you can do the same too if you want." She said standing up.

I watched in wonder as the empty soup bowls and the pot for the soup was surrounded by a bluish light and then levitated in the air. "Aaaaaaaaa…. BRAAAA." And suddenly, it all disappeared.

"WHOA. WHAT. WHERE'D IT GO?" I exclaimed. Our food bowls and the pot, were just… gone.

"Relax; Abby's going to wash them silly." Alu said calmly, as Abby teleported away. "You should return your Poke'mon now." She said, pointing to them. Squirtle had fallen asleep against Charmander, who was sitting up with Bulbasaur, observing me and Alu.

"Oh. Right." I said, numbly. I was still overwhelmed, by all that happened today. Waking up and finding out how I'm actually alive. Apparently beginning my Poke'mon Quest… it was all…. so much… I was alive though. Twelve years…. I wouldn't get to see him physically. She had said that I could _see _him with her help, but… I looked at Alu; she still hadn't told me the real reason why she'd saved me, only something about making me stronger.

My heart beat, it still felt so unreal. I also had that obnoxious fox sealed within. I grimaced, as I remembered its eyes; its horrible red eyes as it snarled at me, revealing two rows of very sharp pointy teeth.

I had so many questions. Questions that I wanted answered _now._

"Alu, why did you really save me that day?" I asked; my heart's beating echoing in my ears.

I saw a blank stare come over her face, and she looked away from me.

"Truth is…" she said; I noticed she wasn't looking at me.

I waited, impatiently, for her to explain, or at least make something in this damn world actually make sense to me.

"I will tell you Minato… just…not right now." She stated firmly.

"But-" I protested.

"No. Now stop asking, or else I'll seal your mouth shut." She replied firm.

I didn't want to leave it at that, I wanted to retort. Instead I bit my tongue, to stop from lashing out at her. I still felt so lost. She expected me to be totally just with whatever she had planned, but I still didn't…. I couldn't be sure.

"Minato, I'll let you see Naruto later ok? Right now I need to still explain a few things to you regarding the Poke'mon in this world." I heard her say from what seemed to be far away. I looked at her strangely; she'd told me we wouldn't be returning for at least 6 years. It'd be 12 years my time.

I couldn't quite fathom what was going on in Alu's head, but one thing I knew for sure. I couldn't completely trust her, but I had a feeling she already expected that. I decided I'd resign myself to this girl's mysterious evasiveness, for the time being.

" Abby, is a girl. With most you can't really tell the gender differences right away, because well… in this world… you can tell from similar markings or a physical attribute. Although, a lot of species have no way of telling whether it is a boy or girl straight off the bat. That's why you can use your Dex to scan them." She explained.

"Huh… is this… the only world I'll be in?" I asked, with a weary curiosity.

"It'll be the world you spend the most time in, yes." Alu said, shrugging.

My heart beat faster. I cleared my throat. "Y-you mean… there really are _other, other _worlds from this one and mine?"

"Sure, billions." Alu said smiling. "Sadly, we won't be going to all of them. Probably 20 at most." She added happily.

I let that roll around a bit. Twenty worlds…. I whistled. "Well… this sure makes my life interesting." I commented vaguely.

"Aren't you glad that you met me?" she asked, jokingly.

"Depends, can I see my son now?" I asked impatiently.

"Sure, sure." She said, waving her hand. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, a violet light shone from both of her eye sockets. Suddenly, I saw Naruto in the Third Hokage's office, wailing. I reached out for him, but then realized, I was completely transparent. I looked to my left, and saw Alu, concentrating her energy to keep the image up. I walked over to Sarutobi; the Third Hokage. His beard was a very light pale brown, and he had what appeared to be a goatee. He looked directly at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Then, he walked right through me, and over to the ninja who was holding my son. "He won't stop crying…" the ninja said worriedly.

I walked over to Naruto and looked at him. He looked so small. So delicate. Me and Kushina... we'd brought him into this life, together. His cheeks had three small black whiskers that looked like they'd been drawn on his face with marker, and I didn't know if that was from Kushina or not. He was right there, a reminder of all that had happened. Tears began to form in my eyes. "Naruto," I murmured endearingly. Naruto stopped crying, and I swear he could see me. "Naruto, grow big and strong for your Pa and Ma, ok?" I asked smiling as tears trickled down my cheeks. Naruto suddenly laughed and reached towards me, and I instinctively stepped forward. It was so painful, this closeness and yet separation, not being able to hold him. "What a weird tyke." said the ninja holding him. Sarutobi laughed.

"It's been a month and a half already, are you sure no one wants to take him?" asked the ninja. "I mean… I can see why they wouldn't…" his voice trailed off. I looked at the ninja, and for the first time, I realized he had a look of contempt for the baby. I felt anger swell up inside of me.

"Relax, Shikoru, get Kakashi, I believe that he is the right choice for watching Naruto. It's…what the Fourth would've wanted I'm sure." Sarutobi said, calmly now.

I looked at him gratefully. Yes, Kakashi Hatake, one of my students, he would definitely take good care of Naruto. I stuck my tongue out at the ninja called Shikoru.

"Nice Minato, way to be mature." Alu laughed; without blinking a lash.

"It has been around a month now. Has anyone told the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya yet? He is this boy's God-father." asked Shikoru.

Sarutobi sat at the Hokage desk, leaning forward in his chair, massaging his temples. "I'm sure, that somehow somewhere he'll get the news… but knowing him, he's probably in the middle of staring at some poor naïve innocent girls right now."

"Isn't that the truth." commented a silver haired boy, as he appeared in the window. He wore that mask that went over his nose and mouth; he liked to say it made him look cool.

"Ah, Kakashi, you're here. That's very good." said Sarutobi brightly.

"You called, Lord Hokage?" the boy asked attentively. I watched him as he took Naruto in his arms. "Kakashi, I want you to watch the boy, make sure that he grows to be well kept. I pray that he will be like his father…not that Kushina was bad… just… her language…" trailed off Sarutobi. Kakashi looked at him, raising his eyebrows.

Naruto giggled and grabbed his mask. "Somehow… I doubt that he'll be like master…" Kakashi grumbled as he tugged Naruto's small fist from his mask. Naruto began crying again. Kakashi's expression became surprised, and he held Naruto awkwardly, going shhhhhh.

I watched Naruto, hungrily, wanting nothing more than to just hold him… if just… once more…

"Kakashi," Rin called, as she knocked on the door. "May I please enter. Are you there?"

"You may." answered Sarutobi.

I watched as she and Kakashi gently handled the baby. Kakashi suddenly shoved the baby at Rin, saying, "I… forgot something important. I'll be by later to take him home. Excuse me." his footsteps fading as he ran out the door. I looked after him and as he ran by me, I saw what appeared to be tears flooding his eyes. I stared after him, sadly. I knew how important I was to him… I had been like a Fatherly figure to him; ever since his Father, called White Fang, had committed suicide because of the unjust treatment from the village ninja. This had only happened because he had chosen to protect his comrades and failed the mission.

"Kakashi…." I heard Rin say, sorrowfully.

The faces and room warped until I found myself back in the Forest, with a tearstained face. I wiped away the tears, sniffling. "I'm going for a walk." I heard Alu say gently, and I knew that she was just doing it to give me some privacy.

"Thanks…for letting m-me see my son…" I said, my voice wavering. I sniffed, and rubbed my nose on my sleeve, and suddenly, felt very, very tired.

"You go on ahead and go to bed, ok?" Alu told me,quietly. She disappeared off into the forest, and I turned to the tent.

It was that dream again. I was in a dark place, with the same mirror. This time though, I wasn't wearing my Sage cloak or headband. I was wearing the outfit that Alu had laid out for me that morning. This time, when I felt the prickling on the back of my neck, I turned to come face to face with the Nine-tails again. This time though, it was in a huge cage, and the seal was in the center of the bars. "So, it's you again huh." I said wearily. The fox snarled in response.

"If it wasn't for this damn seal, I would RIP and TEAR your body to SHREDS." It snarled. I couldn't for the life of me, see what Alu saw in this menacing monster.

"Great, that's good to know." I said uncaring.

"RAWWWR. HOW DARE YOU SEPARATE ME FROM MY YANG HALF. IF I WAS AT FULL POWER-"

"That was the point of my separating the Yin and Yang halves. I couldn't control all of you. Your chakras aren't exactly feather weight." I pointed out, annoyed.

"DAMN YOU! MINATO!" it roared enraged. It slashed at the cage bars, but not a scratch appeared, no matter how many times or how strong the fox slashed.

"I thought the Yin half was supposed to be the happy half or something." I grumbled.

"YOU HUMANS ARE ALL THE SAME!" it roared, and I actually felt like there was a little tremor going on under my feet. I balanced myself, looking at the Kyuubi.

"Well," I said ticked, "that girl, Alu, she apparently thinks it's our fault that you Bijuu are so twisted."

The fox paused.

"… That girl… KNOWS NOTHING. WE DON"T WANT NOR NEED A WEAK HUMAN GIRL'S PITY!" it screeched finally.

"Dammit, you're loud." I complained, scratching my ear, trying to soothe my rattling ear drums.

"OF COURSE. YOU ONLY SWEAR AROUND ME. IT'D RUIN YOUR BEAUTIFUL IMAGE OF MR. PERFECT IF YOU DID THAT IN REAL LIFE WOULDN'T IT?" it growled raucously.

"Ugh, sometimes I wonder if you're the reason why Kushina swore so much. I can see why." I complained loudly. Frankly, I didn't care if the Kyuubi starved or whatever, in fact; I didn't care what that girl thought about the tailed Bijuu. As far as I was concerned, they were all a threat if not contained.

"Can you please go away, seeing your ugly furry mug in my nightmares is hard enough, I don't need you in my head either." I grumbled.

"IDIOT, YOU THINK YOU'RE DREAMING? THIS ISN'T A DREAM. YOU ARE TALKING TO ME IN YOUR UNCONCIOUSNESS. YOU ARE INSIDE YOUR BELLY- "

"I wonder where the mute switch is for this annoying monster…" I wondered loudly. The Kyuubi snarled, and banged against the cage bars. "IT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR PEOPLE! YOUR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST OUR KIND FOR GENERATIONS! SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING! HUMANS CAN'T BE TRUSTED!" It roared so loudly, that I lost balance and fell on my butt in the shallow water. I figured it was chakra water or something, truth be told; I wasn't sure what it was.

"Damn, and you ask yourself _why?_" I yelled. "YOU TRIED TO DESTROY KONOHA, AND NEARLY KILLED MY WIFE AND SON!" I roared.

"THAT PART WAS MADARA'S DOING! THAT WOMAN… KUSHINA… SHE TREATED ME LIKE _SHIT! _OF COURSE I WANTED TO DESTROY WHAT WAS PRECIOUS TO HER! LET _HER_ SEE HOW IT FELT TO BE THE ONE HELPLESS!"

"Dammit, DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT KUSHINA OR MY SON THAT WAY!" I roared. The fox laughed menacingly. "OR WHAT? YOU'LL _KILL ME?_"

I wanted to retort but before I could, I felt that tug at my waistline again, and I felt myself being pulled farther away, and into the darkness, with that strange mirror being the only thing there once more. I looked at it, and felt that urge to touch it again. Still fuming at what Kyuubi said, I saw its face in the reflection. Anger took over and I tried to smash the mirror with my fist, but _my fist went straight through. _"What the hell?" I stammered. I could see myself clearly, in the mirror, and it looked solid.

My body suddenly felt very heavy and I began to fall. The mirror faded into the blackness…. I felt weightless, and fell down… down… down….


	5. Chapter 4 Poke'mon Battle on!

FOUR ~*

IV

Alu looked up at the morning sky, as she knew Minato was still asleep. He'd been tossing and turning, from which she figured, was a bad dream; for half the night. She preferred to sleep outside, she only had the tent for him to use. Her partner awoke and moved over to her. "Squirtle… Squirt?" it asked.

"Hey Jet, how are you?" Alu asked, smiling. She petted her Poke'mon on the head and it smiled. She preferred to have her partner out with her, although the other Poke'mon were still contained in their balls.

"_What are you going to do about telling him his wife is alive?_"

Jet asked.

"Good question… I'm still working on that…" Alu said sheepishly.

"_You're going to have to tell him… does he know that you can talk to us yet?_"

Jet asked placing its small blue three fingered hand on Alu's knee. "I know… I'll tell him that today. I think he's still adjusting."

"_Will I get to battle him today?_" Jet asked eagerly.

Alu laughed. "Yes you will." She said grinning. Jet smiled a devilish grin.

"_Team Alu is unbeatable. He's really in for it now. Hahaha._"

"Yes, yes he is." Alu agreed.

She heard movement in the tent and saw Minato come out. "So that's who you were talking to." He said, yawning and stretching.

"Someone's comfortable." Alu commented smiling.

"Nah, I'm just tired. Either I was having a nightmare or you were the nightmare." Minato said, rolling his eyes.

Alu and Jet looked at each other; they both burst out laughing. "Squiirt! Squuirtle!" Jet laughed, and Alu snorted. "I agree." She said grinning. Minato looked at her questioningly.

"Did you just understand what the Poke'mon said?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, I did. I'm one of the very few people in this world able to do that though. Haha." said Alu, brushing it off as something unimportant.

"You're full of surprises this early in the morning?" Minato complained.

"_Wait 'till he sees the first gym leader he's going up against._" Jet snickered. Alu grinned, a light shining in her eyes.

"What'd it say?" Minato asked, eyeing both trainer and Poke'mon suspiciously.

"Jet here, wishes you luck in your first gym battle, considering who you're up against." Alu said, still grinning devilishly.

"We have to make it there first." Minato pointed out. "Besides," he added, "Didn't you say you were gonna battle me or whatever you do in this world?"

"True, you ready?" Alu asked, hopping up.

"Wait now?" Minato asked incredulously.

"Yep." Alu said bluntly.

"But, we should pack up at least…" he started but Alu was already sprinting off into the clearing. "Dang it…too carefree. That's her problem." He grumbled, but he followed suit.

They entered a small clearing, only a few minutes away from the camp site. To the left was a small stream, and to the right was just a bunch of bushes surrounding the area.

"This will be a one on one match. Each trainer will be able to switch out with two Poke'mon, meaning you will have a total of three Poke'mon to battle with. Whoever gets the opposing side to all faint wins." Alu declared, taking on a referee tone.

She saw Minato quickly process all that info and then she smiled. He was one smart cookie.

"Alright… I choose Bulbasaur!" he exclaimed; throwing the ball into the air. "BULBA!" it exclaimed happily as it was released. It landed on all fours, and a battle cry erupted from within. It gave off a strong aura, to which Alu just had to smile at. Bulbasaur was a lot like Minato.

She stifled a laugh, and pulled out a Poke'ball. She grinned and called out, "I choose you… Cyndaquil!" and in a flash of red light, came out a small mouse looking Poke'mon. Minato stared at it, with surprise and interest.

It had six small red holes on its back, which erupted into flame when it trilled, "Quuiiiiiil."

It was hard to say what color exactly, but the arms and chest and bottom half of the fire creature, was a buttery-like yellow, while the top part seemed to be a mixure of a really dark grey/blue/and possibly dark green. Its eyes, like Abra's appeared to be closed, even though, they probably weren't.

"Oh yeah, you can switch out your Poke'mon if you want, but please don't make that a habit for this whole match." Alu called over to him from her side.

"Got it!" he responded.

Alu waited for him to make the switch, but when he didn't seem to move in that direction she thought how interesting that was. If he wants to battle like that, then that was no problem to her.

She grinned and shouted, "Go Cynder! Use Flame Wheel!"

Minato watched amazed as the small little Poke'mon jumped up into the air, and then spun itself into; literally, a ball of fire that was a wheel. "Quiiiiiiiiillll!" it trilled as it sped towards Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur scampered out of the way, and Alu watched as Minato snapped into gear. "Bulbasaur! Keep dodging!" he called out assertively.

"Bulba! Bulba!" his partner panted, as it did its best to avoid Cynder's attack.

Alu wondered why he didn't switch it out for Squirtle. She assumed even he would know type differences. "Cynder! Go! Use Flame wheel again!" she called out to her Poke'mon. Cynder had stopped to store up some more fire energy and she realized that was what Minato had been patiently waiting for the whole time.

"GO BULBASAUR! LEECH SEED!" he commanded, and Bulbasaur agilely appeared right next to Cynder and a small seed almost made impact, but Cynder quickly rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding it.

"Crap! Cynder's good…" Alu heard Minato mutter.

Alu grinned to herself thinking that wasn't even the best of it. "GO CYNDER USE SMOKESCEEN!" she called out.

Minato exclaimed, "WHAT THE-" as black smoke covered the entire area. She heard him coughing slightly. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS SMOKE WAS HARMLESS?" he yelled.

"SURE IT IS!" she called back, "AS LONG AS YOUR NOT STANDING IN IT!"

She laughed.

She heard a little "QUIIIILL." She realized that she'd fallen for a trap. Minato wanted to hear her voice, so that Bulbasaur could successfully execute its vine whip attack on Cynder. "Oh Crap!" Alu exclaimed. He was a lot better than he appeared, that was for sure.

"FLAME WHEEL CYNDER!" she commanded.

"AVOID IT! LEECH SEED!" Minato retaliated.

Alu wondered why he would use leech seed, even though it would only be fried in the heat of Cynder's flames. She quickly found out from Cynder's cry of shock what his plan was. "OH NO!" Alu exclaimed, as it dawned on her.

"GET OUT OF THERE CYNDER!" she yelled. It was too late though, as the smoke cleared Cynder was obviously weakened. Alu observed the damage quickly. Minato had used Leech seed on the ground, so that when Cynder had to land, it would suck the HP from it. Alu thought how only Ingrain should have been able to actually affect the ground… but then again… Alu grinned. "Heh, I'll admit, you're good for a beginner!" she called out. "But… we're NOT DONE JUST YET!"

Minato's look became startled as Cynder's blaze grew and then with a shrill trill, it unleashed another flame wheel, this time, it made impact with Bulbasaur, before it could dodge it in time. Bulbasaur trembled, and was panting heavily. It gave out a cry of pain as a large red welt appeared on it. "Bulbasaur!" Minato cried out worried. Bulbasaur panted heavily, looked at Minato weakly, and then fainted. "YOU KILLED MY STARTER!" he yelled.

Alu cracked up. She found his reaction priceless. "Calm down, I already told you that Poke'mon have a certain amount of HP set aside for battling. They don't die when they lose, they faint. It's a pretty big difference." She explained, raising her eyebrows.

"Bulba…saur…"

Minato looked at Alu with a questioning gaze.

"Just return it to its Poke'ball right now ok? You still have two other types to battle with. Oh yeah, good job Bulbasaur, you did great even though Cynder is a tough type advantage." Alu said, patting Bulbasaur who smiled weakly.

"Cynda… Cynda…" Cynder said, looking at Minato apologetically.

Minato appeared to have calmed down, and he sighed resignedly. "It's ok Cynder… sorry.. I overreacted." He apologized.

"Cynder! Cynder!" Cynder said, happily accepting the apology.

"Well come on, let's get this show on the road. I'm keeping Cynder out, so who are you calling out?" Alu said eagerly, skipping back over to her side of the area.

"Alright already!" Minato said annoyed at her joyous mood.

"Let's go… SQUIRTLE!" he called as he threw the ball up in the air. He returned Bulbasaur, and put it away. Catching the Poke'ball, he said, "Alright Squirtle! Go use… a WATER ATTACK!" Squirtle looked at him confused. "Squirt?" it asked, tilting its head.

Alu laughed. "You didn't have a chance to read its moves or register it, did you?" she asked giggling.

"You didn't give me enough time this morning to check Dexter to see…" complained Minato ticked.

The sun was blazing, and Minato felt the heat on his back. He rubbed the sweat off of his forehead. He noticed that Cynder seemed stronger in the heat of the sun. An idea began to form in his head, and Alu noticed.

"You read my mind from the beginning, didn't you?" Minato asked.

"Actually. No. If I did that for every opponent, then where would the fun of not knowing go?" Alu explained, waving her index finger in the air while explaining.

She saw Minato grin, and felt annoyed. Now she _really _wanted to know what he was thinking. But if she did that, then the fun of not knowing wouldn't be fun anymore.

Minato noticed her slight change in mood, which made him smile larger.

He was taunting her. He wanted her to read his mind.

"Not gonna happen~" she sang in response.

"Ok! Dexter!" Minato said, as he pulled it out. He scanned Squirtle and listened to the information given. "Squirtle, the small turtle Poke'mon. Squirtle has a hard shell, and when you poke it, it will come out. Moves known: tackle, growl, tailwhip, bubble." It droned. Minato put it away, and said, "Ok! Now I'm ready for Part two of this battle!"

"Alright, Cynder, go use tackle!" Alu called out, pointing at Squirtle.

"Squuiirtle!" it exclaimed and ran towards Cynder.

"Alright Squirtle, go! Use BUBBLE!" exclaimed Minato. Bubbles forcefully came out and surrounded Cynder. It slowed down Cynder and Alu knew that the hit it'd taken from Bulbasaur; had caused more damage than she'd anticipated.

"Go! Cynder! Don't give up just yet! Use Smokescreen once more!" she called.

"CYNDAAAAAAAAAA!"

The sudden blaze from Cyndaquil's back erupted into a fierce powerful flame; which was exactly what Minato wanted.

"Alright! GO FOR IT SQUIRTLE! BUBBLE ATTACK!"

Alu watched as Minato worked together with his Poke'mon and she grinned to herself.

_* He truly was, something else. *_


	6. Chapter 5 A shocking new opponent

_**CHAPTER 5**_

"Alright! Go use Tail whip!" I heard Minato call out approvingly. He was better than I thought. Much better. Then again, I expected nothing less from a Hokage from the Hidden Leaf village. I was sort of ticked though. No way I was gonna let a beginner like him own my team!

"Alright! Cynder! Let's GO! Use Smokescreen again!" I called out. I watched as Cynder weakly tried to move, but Minato had managed to get its defense down enough so that even bubble would affect it.

Cynder let loose one small feeble cry, and then fainted. "Cynder!" I exclaimed, running to it. Minato and Squirtle followed. "It'll be alright, won't it?" he asked.

"It'll live if that's what you mean. I must be going soft, if even a newbie like you can beat my strong Cynder..." I said, sighing.

I grinned at him. "Boy are you in for it now."

I heard him think: _Boy am I in for it now…_

I laughed.

_This is gonna be a good match. Not only will he gain some experience with his Poke'mon, but I will as well, _I thought to myself. I returned Cynder, and then took my place back across from Minato. "Are you ready for this!" I exclaimed.

I broke my own rule just long enough to hear what he was thinking: _I wasn't ready to be landed in this world to begin with. _I laughed. Oh yes, time was going to be very fun with him around. I'd been planning this for some time. Yes, quite some time.

I knew I'd have to tell him more eventually about why and stuff, but right now, I just wanted to have some fun with battling. I didn't wanna think about what would be happening at the end when the beginning was just getting started.

"Let's battle, Ai!" I called out, as my next choice flashed in front of me. "Mareeeep!" it exclaimed happily. I know Minato was surprised to see it. I grinned; I'd only told him about Normal, and the three main elements, grass, water, and fire.

"Shocking, isn't it? Doesn't it just send a jolt of surprise through your system?" I laughed.

"CRAP ALU! I SHOULDA KNOWN YOU WOULDA DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS!" I heard Minato complain.

"Go! AI! Use thundershock!" I exclaimed happily. The small yellow sheep looking Poke'mon let loose its small bleat of a battle cry, and a small bolt of yellow electricity shot from it and cracked the ground; where Squirtle had been only moments before.

"Squirrrrttleeee!" it cried out, as it tried to avoid all of my Mareep's electric attacks.

"Return Squirtle!" I heard Minato shout. I smiled.

"Now you decide to return your Poke'mon!" I said, smiling.

"Alright Charmander, go!" Minato cried, as he threw the Poke'ball. The small fire lizard popped out, and let loose its battle cry. It was pumped for this match. I could tell he didn't know whether or not Fire would be very affective versus electricity. I decided I'd let him find that out for himself. Why should I be the one to spoil the fun?

"Go Charmander! Use EMBER!"

"ChARRRRR!" it exclaimed, unleashing a barrage of small embers. I noticed the flame on its tail lowering slightly. I called out to Minato, "Be careful that you don't over do it. If its flame on its tail goes out, then Charmander really will die!"

There was a pause.

"Oh jeez, thanks for telling me that _now!_" Minato complained. I smiled to myself. Something told me, he was gonna be complaining a lot.

Despite my want to win, I couldn't help but give Minato another tip. "Also, Charmander has this cool ability called Blaze. Basically, the more hits it takes, the stronger it becomes because, like a certain ninja with a love for being on top, it refuses to give up."

"Is that so? Ok then! Go Charmander! Use Ember again!" I heard Minato command. I saw that he'd created a small blaze totally surrounding my Poke'mon.

"Use thundershock and charge right on through! Ai! Show no fear!" I called out supportively. My Mareep bleated in response, and I saw a large charge of electricity blast through the small blaze.

"CHARRRRRR!"

"MAAAA~REEEE"

Fire made contact with electricity, and both Poke'mon had a fierce light shining in their eyes. There was a small _Kaboom _and as the white smoke cleared, both Poke'mon, were still standing. All my Poke'mon were around the same level of experience as Minato's. I'd picked them for that purpose; plus, I really did need to train them.

A small fire had started from the left over blaze. "ALU! THERE'S A FIRE GOING ON!" Minato pointed out panicking. "My Poke'mon only knows bubble! Don't you have a Squirtle too?"

"Yep, Jet. Why?" I asked distracted by my Mareep's adorableness.

"Viridian Forest is about to become charred unless you put out the fire!" Minato exclaimed, in a –I can't believe you- sort of tone.

"You worry too much. Besides, didn't anyone tell you that if you played with fire, there is always the chance that something's gonna burn?" I asked, airily.

"… This whole place defies the Laws of Science. How the heck was I supposed to know that stuff can catch on fire from a Fire Poke'mon's move?" Minato groaned.

"Fine, fine," I grumbled. "Jet, front and center!" I called. Out flashed my partner who let loose a spray of water at the small blaze and successfully put it out.

"Can we get back to the more important task of battling now?" I asked.

I heard him think: _preventing a forest fire seems more important _but since he was grumbling, I just smiled. I wasn't gonna read his mind regarding the match. It wouldn't be fun that way.

"Alright, I'm gonna switch out Ai for JET!" I called out. A flash of red light, and Mareep was returned to its ball. "Good job friend." I said to it. Next I focused my attention on Minato. He was at a type disadvantage. Since Bulbasaur was out, he only had Squirtle, who was weak versus Mareep, and Charmander, who was weak against electricity and water. "You can give up peacefully any time now!" I said, grinning.

"Ha. As if!" he retorted.

I needed to get his Squirtle strong enough to at least be close to learning water gun, for when he went up against the first gym leader. In fact, I needed to get at least all of his Poke'mon some experience before the first gym battle. Bulbasaur would be fine versus the Pewter gym. It had gained good EXP. Points from when they'd battled the Caterpie and Butterfree.

I could tell Minato knew he was at a double type disadvantage. It was up to him what he wanted to do. "Well?" I asked, "what's it gonna be? You gonna keep powering on ahead? Or are you gonna give up?" I could tell just from looking at his face; that his eyes were shining with a mischievous light. I really hated that. Now I really did want to know what he was planning, but I had to resist that temptation. At least, he's keeping things interesting.

He stared at me intently, and then at his Poke'mon and my own. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. I decided that, while he was doing that, I'd eat. I pulled out an apple and began to munch.

He closed his eyes for a split second, probably steaming from my airy attitude; so I threw an apple at him, so he'd stop being annoyed. He caught it quickly. "I didn't throw it _at _you, I threw it _to _you, there's a difference." I explained.

"Some difference…" I heard him mutter.

"Oh quit PMsing and eat the nice juicy apple." I said, rolling my eyes.

I saw his expression go annoyed. "I'm not Pmsing! Oh forget it." and he chomped into the apple vigorously.


	7. Chapter 6 Kushina

CHAPTER VI

I bit the apple repeatedly; moodily. I hated feeling like I was just being strung along. I began to wonder if I was just around as a source of entertainment for this girl. I did indeed find battling in this world, interesting, but at the same time; no I wouldn't allow myself to think of that right now.

I decided that I'd focus on this match. I always thought better whenever some action was taking place anyways. I looked at Alu's Mareep, and decided that my best bet was to keep battling it out with Charmander. I had already analyzed my surroundings. While her water type indeed did have an advantage over Charmander, I still had Squirtle. I knew that Mareep was super strong against Squirtle though.

I felt my heart speed up. Charmander knew smokescreen… Alu said she wasn't going to read my mind regarding this match. If I used it… Jet would have to be able to see, to land a hit.

"Charrr? Charrr?"

"I know Charmander, Go use smokescreen!" I commanded.

Charmander unleashed its smokescreen and the match began again.

"Alriiiight Jet!" I heard her cry out jubilantly. "USE WATER GUN!"

I watched a blast of water shoot through the haze, and I quickly called out to Charmander, "JUMP, and use EMBER!"

The fire lizard evaded the water gun, as it sliced through the smokescreen. Feeling energized at Charmander's successful evasion, I called out, "Alright go, now use ember!"

"Jet, let's put them out of their misery! End it with Water gun!" I heard her exclaim triumphantly, but I wasn't ready to call it quits just yet. "DODGE!" I commanded, but the blast hit Charmander full on, and it let loose a little cry as it was propelled backwards towards me. I saw it collapse on the ground, its flame smaller than what was normal. Charmander had fainted. "Thank you for fighting beside me," I said, recalling it to its ball.

I knew that I was outnumbered, and out-typed. She was watching me, grinning. She had known all along that I wasn't going to win. I hated feeling like I was just a puppet, used for her source of entertainment. I had to think logically though, in a ninja mission, I would retreat and rethink of another battle strategy if I had the opportunity. I decided that, instead of making my entire Poke'mon team faint when it was hopeless, I'd just withdraw and then try again later. I knew her three Poke'mon now, so the next time, I would be better prepared. I raised up an arm in the custom signal of defeat during a match. She smiled at me. "I'm withdrawing from this match. I accept the defeat." I said strongly. I knew I was doing the right thing. Alu seemed to know too, because she clapped her hands together.

"Way to go, Minato." She said, and I realized she was praising me, not taunting me.

"I was curious to see, how you would handle a situation like this, I am glad to see that, you aren't abusive to your partners." She said, approvingly. I hadn't been thinking only of my Poke'mon, but I realized that they do need to be taken care of, they aren't just tools.

"Your Poke'mon may have fainted, but they did gain experience which was the whole point of this match. Winning, isn't everything, because it's the experience gained that makes all the difference, neh?" she said, smiling. I was surprised, that someone as peppy and unorganized and as impulsive as her, would have said something so enlightening.

"That's me, full of surprises!" she said laughing, skipping back to the camp site. I guessed the whole not reading my mind thing was over since the match was over. I sighed, and followed her back.

I looked at my Poke'watch that Alu had gotten me to see the time. My Poke'watch was blue, and in the symbol of a Poke'ball, with a screen in the center, and buttons on the side. It was nearing evening, but I saw the faces of buildings appear past the trees in the distance. We were so close to Pewter city now.

"That was like the longest walk, I've ever been on." Alu complained. "Man, I'm sore."

I was used to walking long distances, but without my chakra, I had felt slowed down. "Maybe, if you hadn't decided to seal my chakra, then we would've gotten here faster." I grumbled.

She just laughed. "You know how to make a person feel energized."

I groaned in response. We hadn't encountered any other wild Poke'mon who wanted to fight, although I had seen plenty watching me as I'd walked by. It still sent shivers down my spine. In this world, there was a no kill policy apparently; otherwise those creepy bugs would've probably been dead if Alu hadn't explained things; and also thrown away my ninja tools which I was still pissed about.

I looked over her shoulder at a book she was reading, and she handed it to me instantly. "Wh-wha?" I stammered, taking it confused. "Read it, it has intel on all the cities of this region. Gyms and stuff. It's called the Bulbapedia, which is very, very, handy. I am in debt to all those people who spent the time to come up with it." she said, and I flipped it open to a page she'd marked. I read:

_**PEWTER MUSEUM OF SCIENCE**_

A famous museum is located in the northwestern part of Pewter City and is one of the city's main attractions. The main building is open to the public for 50 and features several historical artifacts, including Aerodactyl and Kabutops fossils, and a model of a space shuttle. There are two floors to explore in the Pewter Museum of Science. The first floor holds the front desk and a fossil exhibit containing the fossils of Aerodactyl and Kabutops. The second floor hosts a space exhibit featuring a Space Shuttle and a large Moon Stone that fell onto Mt. Moon. People are able to explore the museum at any time, after paying the 50 admission fee.

I figured that little symbol stood for Poke' money which was their form of currency. I found that little Bulba-book to be very interesting. It also, had info on the Pewter Gym, which was my primary concern at the moment. I read:

Pewter Gym

The Pewter Gym is the official gym of Pewter City. It is based on Rock-type Pokémon. The Gym Leader is Brock. Trainers that defeat him receive the Boulder Badge.

Other known members Brock's father, Flint, and Brock's mother, Lola. Brock currently left to become a well known Poke'mon breeder and has joined a boy named Ash Ketchum on his journeys. There are 8 children including Forrest. While he is still away, next in line, Forrest, is currently running the rock-type gym.

I didn't know how old this Forrest guy was, but I figured if he was gym leader, and second oldest, he must be at least 18. I had no idea who Ash Ketchum or Brock was, but Alu had told me that the Gym Leaders were Gym Leaders for a reason. I looked up to ask Alu what we were gonna do about lodging for the night, but she wasn't there. My face dropped. "ALU!" I yelled, as I saw her small dotted figure already closer to the city than I was. _CRAP. _

After steaming for twenty minutes at being left behind, I was surprised to see a small inn where Alu was leading me to. "Figured you'd wanna sleep outta the dirt tonight." She said, grinning. It was a nice looking building, made out a nice reddish brown wood, and we entered through two wooden sliding doors, the inside was so clean. There was a small desk, where a young woman with her black hair pinned up sat. She looked up, revealing a set of almond colored eyes, which stared at me intently, until I nervously looked away.

"Welcome, guests. If you aren't registered for tonight, please do so, but if you have made plans in advance, I will lead you to your rooms."

We had taken off our foot-wear, as was custom, and I carried mine now, as we were led to our rooms. I was glad that I'd at least have my own room. I felt awkward enough as it was, traveling with a 13 year old girl. "fourteen." She called back to me. I rolled my eyes. Of course, reading my mind wouldn't change.

Our rooms weren't the only rooms, and lamplight lit up the hall as we passed by. A few sliding doors later, the woman led me to my room. Alu had already gone into hers, which was across the hall. The sound of trickling water caught my attention, and I walked towards the back sliding door across the room, and upon opening, found a small little hot spring outside. I looked at the woman, questioningly.

The woman bowed in a proffessional manner, and said, "Since you and your friend have paid well, and contributed to the renovation of another one of our inns in Cerulean City." I had no idea what she was talking about, but if she was talking about the contribution or whatever, that was probably Alu. "This is a guest suite, at half price. I hope you do enjoy your stay for this week. If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask for assistance from me, or any of our team. Food will be served at eight p.m. if you have any allergies or medical conditions that we should be aware of, please fill out this form and turn it in to the front desk. You may call me Irene-san, and I am happy to be of service at any time." She bowed once more, and then left, leaving me with a relaxing outdoor bath and my own thoughts.

I was surprised, but felt strangely satisfied. I figured soaking in a hot bath would help me clear my head, maybe focus on reeling in all these confusing thoughts. I took off my shirt, right when Alu barged in. I instinctively covered my chest with it, feeling very self-conscious. "A-Alu," I spluttered, "Da _Hell are you doing in my room?_"

She gave a hoot. "Dammit Alu!" I said angrily, "can't you see I'm changing?"

"What? I can't come by and see how my good pal Mina-chan is doing?" she pouted.

"Don't call me Mina-chan! It should be Hokage-sama to you." I said annoyed. "Why wait now to use honorifics anyway?" I groaned.

I wondered what went on in her head. It started a headache so I stopped.

"I'm actually going out and I'm taking my Poke'mon to the Poke'mon Center here. I'm taking Charmander and Bulbasaur with me. Your Squirtle is fine, so I'll leave it with you. Take care." she said, waving and then she slid the door shut, leaving me alone with my dark, dark thoughts.

I knew she was telling the truth about going out though, and I hoped that I'd have the decency of having at least some peace and quiet. Stepping into the hot water sent tingles through my body. It felt good though, and I watched the steam rising off the water, as if doing some sort of snake-like dance. I slid my mouth and nose under water, blowing bubbles off-handedly. I then just sat, with a small white towel on my forehead, looking up at the starry night sky, which, from where I was sitting, looked incredible. Stars cut out against the blackness, and a bright white, crescent moon seemed to glow with radiance. A small patch of grass was to my left, where the small stones ended, and a few lone fireflies zipped around. I thoughtfully watched them thinking how peculiar it was, to see something from my world, in this one. I expected to hear Alu answer my question like she usually did, but then remembered she was out.

I closed my eyes, feeling the steam press against my face like a clear mask. My senses became more acute, and my passages cleared. I stretched my arms above me, and then sat for whoever knows how long. It felt so good. It would have been perfect, but my thoughts kept on wandering to Naruto. Kushina… Alu made it sound as though she was dead… and my heart fell as I knew that Alu must've done that lightly, as to not cause me more pain. She'd at least let me see Naruto, and I knew it was him, and not some illusion. I wondered if she was one of those prodigy kids, we'd had a few in our village; Kakashi was one of them, being as gifted as he was. At 8 he'd already passed the exam for graduation.

I pondered this, until I felt a pair of eyes staring at me. I stood up suddenly, fwipping my head to the side, to come face to face with Squirtle's big red ones. "AHHHGH!" I exclaimed surprised and fell backwards into the spring. "S-sQuuiirrtle!" it countered just as shocked.

I realized that it had just been lonesome, and was probably hungry, so I got out. As I was wrapping the towel around my waist, to head in to change, I heard the sliding door open behind me. " Minato-dono, are you alright?" exclaimed Irene, the nice lady from before. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and I felt like my face was on fire from embarrassment. I felt her stare at me for a split second, and then smartly say, "Excuse me." the sliding door closing abruptly.

Alu's laughter still rang in my ears as I went to sleep that night. She'd obviously saw that incident in my mind and now she couldn't take me seriously at all. I found it very disturbing that she could see visuals too. I didn't want her anywhere near the visuals with me and Kushina. She'd assured me that even see had set boundaries for herself; but I still wondered if she'd actually enforced those boundaries yet.

I decided that I'd call her Alu-shi. That's what she was, a mysterious girl I'd never met in my life that was suddenly in charge of my life apparently. I groaned as I rolled over on my side. I slid into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

It was cold. I felt lost. Empty.

Floating I was, in darkness. I wondered if I was dreaming, or if… I was dead. I felt like I wasn't dead, but I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember anything. I was somehow on solid blackness. I walked through the darkness, until I saw a light, glowing eerily right below me.

I vaguely wondered, how was I supposed to go below, if I was above on seemingly solid ground? I heard raucous laughter from above. I looked up, to see a huge Nine-tailed fox glaring down at me, snapping its jaws hungrily. An invisible barrier separated the fox from where I stood below. I fell on my butt, heart pounding, as it scratched and roared. It was speaking, but it was on mute. I wanted to get away from the fox. I looked down, and the mirror, the mirror was closer than what I remembered. It faced me, and as I looked closer, my heart skipped a beat. I saw a woman, early 20's, with beautiful long red hair, and peach skin. Her eyes were closed, and she wore a peaceful smile. I couldn't help but think, how beautiful she looked. An emotion, one I'd thought I'd lost, came flooding back, along with my memories. "Kushina…" I murmured, reaching hungrily out for the mirror, wanting nothing more than to slide through to where she was.

Suddenly, it was as if sound was turned on again, and I heard the fox roar, "MINATO! I'LL RIP AND TEAR YOU AND THAT BITCH TO SHREDS!" I fell into the mirror just as a clawed reddish orange hand swiped for me.

I was in a meadow. Flowers surrounded me, and I realized they were white roses, but the thorns… weren't there. They were pure, white. A white, so bright, that it was its very own shade. The purest shade, I'd ever seen. In the middle of them sat Kushina.

Tears swelled up in my eyes. My body seemed to move on its own, and I ran towards her. "Kushina!" I called out, but no sound came out. I tried again, but she couldn't hear me. She continued to look up. I stopped. I wasn't getting any closer to her. I looked up too. Above me, was the village, Konohagakure. I felt my heart pound in my ears. It kept edging closer and closer, and the only thing keeping it from compressing me and Kushina was another invisible barrier. I heard a baby's wail. Kushina, still not noticing my presence, got up, and walked towards me. My heart caught in my throat. Her eyes were an intense blue, but they were glazed over. She _was already _dead.

I felt sick.

She was wearing a white dress, of course… I shuddered, as she walked by me. She wasn't breathing. I found myself frozen. I couldn't move. I heard the baby's wailing behind me, and gave a start as a cold hand, grabbed my own, my own warm one. "Shhhh… Naruto…." She said softly, and even though the baby was far away, the wailing stopped. She looked at me, and I stared back, unable to break free. "Minato…" she murmured, brushing a hand on my cheek. It was ice-cold, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. This… was still Kushina though. She stared into my own blue eyes, and a small smile played her lips. I felt my heart beat go up, as she laid a hand over my heart. "You're…. alive…." She murmured softly. I felt my heart, beat against, my ribs, as if trying to avoid contact with her.

"I-it… it seems that way…." I said hoarsely. "Feel my own… heart…" she placed one o f my hands over her own heart. I grimaced, but didn't pull away; her heart wasn't beating. Her peach skin began to turn to a paler pallor.

"Look at me… look at what I've been reduced to… while you… you continue to live." She said, in a low tone. I sensed I was in danger. I knew that… it was my fault though. "We were supposed to both die.. Together…." She murmured softly.

"K-Kushina… I…. I know… I didn't… it wasn't my intention… I just met this strange girl-"

She placed her hand over my mouth. "Shhh, it's ok. I'll forgive you… if you die a second time…" and she pulled out a dark, black sharp knife; a kunai.

"K-Kushina!" I yelled, terrified. I was forcefully pushed down, and she had me pinned.

"You… should've died… the same fate as I did…" she said menacingly, as she raised it over her head. A dark red stain appeared on her stomach, I felt sickened. It hadn't been there when I first saw her. I knew what it was from. It was when she'd jumped in front and gotten the Kyuubi's claw in her chest, with me right behind her. Her eyes, lifeless hatred shining in them, seemed to smile at the shining terror screaming within my own.

Her hand, gripped the Kunai, while her other hand, had me by the throat. I looked up at her, at the woman I'd loved. I gripped her hand around my throat, choking. Then I just, released my hands. I let them fall to my sides. I deserved this. Of course I did… I didn't deserve to live…

"Minato you IDIOT!" I heard a voice call out suddenly. I looked up, at the face of Alu. I was startled to see shining worry in her eyes. "Minato, this isn't really Kushina!" she yelled. "This is… the form your guilt took! If you give it power, it really can KILL YOU! Now put down that kitchen knife!"

I didn't understand what she meant, but suddenly the white field disappeared, and in its place was a kitchen. Kushina too, she disappeared. I looked around, in daze, and saw Irene-san and Alu staring at me. "Wha?" I murmured, and then looked at what I was holding. Startled, I dropped the giant knife which clinked as it hit the ground.

I felt tired, incredibly tired. I found myself falling, and I thought as I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard Kushina call my name.


	8. Chapter 7 A Pidgey in need!

~* C_**hapter VII~***_

Minato's eyes fluttered open to be greeted by the harsh heat of mid-afternoon.

"Well good morning, my beautiful ball of sunshine." An all too familiar annoying voice greeted. His mind was foggy but still Minato groaned. It was her.

She sighed and put her hands on her hips, staring down at him. "Is this saving yur butt thing gonna become a habit of yours?" she said, rolling her eyes. Minato's expression became shadowed.

"Alu… what was that." He asked shakily. Her face, his dead wife's face seemed to leer over him; he couldn't get her lifeless glazed eyes out of his mind. He shivered.

He felt a hand on his hair, and blinked. Looking up, he saw Alu's smiling face.

"Relax, chill. That was just your guilt… you need to know, right now, that your being alive, does not anger your wife. Got that?" she began to pet his head, much to his annoyance.

Minato gazed at her, and then looked away. He sat up, and gripped his sheets. "Damn… it…" he choked. "It… was so real…. I really thought… she was there…"

"Hmm… maybe the fox _is_ making you swear more than usual…" Alu commented switching subjects. Minato buried his face in the pillows.

"Uggh…." was his only response. He was thinking that she wasn't helping him convince himself that she wasn't a stalker.

"I know of guilt trips, but way to put the trip into the guilt." Alu said. Minato raised an eyebrow despite himself. "Alu…" he groaned.

"Hai?"

"…that was… horrible.." he said, mumbling into his pillow.

Alu just laughed it off. "Yeah well, we have a full day's work ahead of us." she said yawning and stretching. "What time is it?" Minato asked, sitting up again.

"Oh, around 2." She said.

"Then why'd you say it was morning!" Minato yelled, as he snapped fully awake.

"L.O.L. something tells me, that you've never slept in…. in your life. Have you?" Alu laughed, "well here you don't need to rush. Though, considering that you like going at full speed, slowing down could be challenging g for you."

"Haha." He responded, grabbing his clothes, "oh yeah, one more thing."

"Yes?" Alu asked following him as he grabbed his clothes.

"GET OUT. I'm changing." He pointed towards the door.

Laughing Alu left. Minato sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He had slept in before, just rarely. It was hard to sleep in since being a Ninja meant you had to have constant time changes when to sleep. He didn't know how long Alu had been watching him sleep either… creepy. He figured he'd just have to accept that. This world was a lot more lax, but he didn't want to get too comfortable with it; otherwise he'd be out of practice when he went back.

Of course, it would be hard enough being a ninja going back anyways. Alu had taken all of his ninja tools, and his chakra was sealed. Training wouldn't exactly be easy. He grumbled to himself, but decided, that at least, the day would be interesting. Like the ones before and the ones to come. He wanted to see Naruto again though, and he made a mental note literally to Alu.

Kushina's face kept appearing in his mind, and he tried to push it away by training with Squirtle. Alu deliberately picked Cynder, because she wanted Squirtle to gain some experience, and having a type advantage would help it.

They battled it out. Squirtle only knew tackle and bubble. Minato had used tail whip too, but not as much. Alu said tail whip makes it easier for a Poke'mon to land a harder hit. So he once again commanded, "Squirtle, go use tail whip and then bubble!"

"Squiirrrtttttt!"

"Go! Cynder, use quick attack!" Alu called.

Minato's eyes wondered in shock as the small fire mouse quickly hit Squirtle, sending it skidding. "The hell…" he'd only known of a few of its attacks, he'd actually forgotten that Poke'mon learn more than four moves. He wouldn't lose face though. "Go Squirtle! Use tail whip!" it gave a little cry as it used tail whip, making Cynder lower its guard.

Cynder agilely dodged the bubbles and the bubbles popped from Cynder's ember attack.

Squirtle immediately used bubble, and Cynder fainted.

"Good job Squirtle. You battled really well." Minato said, praising his water turtle, who smiled in return. He patted it on the head, and it snuggled under his hand. The texture under his hand was a smooth, turtle-like. Which made sense, considering it was a turtle. Technically. Battling had helped take his mind off of what had happened last night, but he still felt uneasy.

"Alright Minato, looks like Squirtle, and Bulbasaur are strong enough to go up against Pewter Gym Leader Forrest." Alu said, grinning. Minato nodded.

"Aren't you going to battle for a badge too?" he asked. "I've already gotten the first three badges of this region." Alu said grinning. "You still have that Bulba-book?"

"Yeah, I do." he said, and pulled it out of his pouch, and Alu pointed out to him the Gym Badges. He looked at them intrigued. They actually looked kinda cool. :

"Like I said, I owe Bulbapedia my life." Alu said laughing. Minato looked at her.

"Not literally. Silly." She said, rolling her eyes.

Minato read, and looked at the picture of each Gym Leader. "If Brock is on a journey… why isn't his brother's picture in his place?" he asked.

"Well. Who cares? We'll see him either way." Alu said, shrugging.

"I guess… can I go battle him now?" Minato asked impatiently. Alu grinned.

"Sure, sure." Alu smiled to herself. Minato was keeping occupied with other things. This was good, and hopefully he would be able to become stronger once he learned to control the Nine tailed fox. Alu knew that she couldn't overwhelm him with _too _much information at once, so she decided, maybe she'd tell him when he'd earned the first three badges.

Alu yawned and she stretched, rubbing her eyes. Minato kept on walking ignoring Alu's subtle hints that she wanted to stop. She cleared her throat loudly. He ignored her. So she quietly slipped away from behind him, going into the trees overhead. She summoned a small orb of water, from the condensation and liquid from the leaves around her, until it formed. He still hadn't checked to see if she was still behind him, so annoyed, she appeared suddenly in front of him and the orb of water splashed him in the face. He sputtered shocked, shaking his head wildly. With a speed faster than Alu anticipated, he whirled and grabbed her by the waist, in a pinning technique. "WHOA WHOA WHOA IT!" she hollered, quickly shifting in his grasp.

"ALU!" he exclaimed angrily, "don't do that! I thought I was under attack."

"Huh, notice how you don't use "we"…." Alu commented coolly.

"I wouldn't if I was the one _being _attacked!" he explained heatedly. He got up, patting his legs of the dust.

Alu sighed, "I'm pouting!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air randomly.

"I'm the one with a wet face." He grumbled.

Alu grinned. "You are still kinda _wet behind the ears _as a trainer." She skipped around him chortling. "Your reaction was priceless. Love it. It's hot out anyways, why are you complaining?"

Minato shook his wet bangs out of his face, but they stubbornly slid back into place. He grumbled and walked ahead picking up his pace.

Alu sighed. "Your boring." She stated annoyed.

"Sorry to disappoint." He grumbled, not looking back.

The two walked on, when suddenly, a bird's cry startled Minato. There was a crash/crack to their right, and Alu ran over, Minato in pursuit. Clearing through a few green shrubs, they came across a peculiar little bird type Poke'mon. It was brown, and a light bright brown with markings of black, and a sharp beak and three toed feet. Its brown wings took up half its body, and the left one was stretched at an awkward angle. It let loose a few weak cries of pain. "Gey… gey…"

Quickly, Minato turned to Alu to ask what should be done, but she was already ahead of him. She pulled out some strip of bandage cloth, and turned to him. "I need a branch for a splint."

He nodded understanding, and was back with a branch in the time it took for Alu to soothe the startled little bird Poke'mon.

He watched curiously, as Alu expertly held the little bird's wing and got the bird's wing tied to the crudely yet expertly designed splint. He was burning to ask her what kind it was, but since it was hurt, he wasn't sure if this was the appropriate time.

"It's ok to scan it now, Minato." She said, nodding.

Minato knew that Alu cared about Poke'mon deeply, and seeing her with that little fragile creature made him realize, that this… all of this…was very real.

He pulled out Dex. "Pidgey, the small bird Poke'mon. Pidgey doesn't usually travel in flocks like Spearow do. Independent creatures, small but with a fierce temper and have very sharp beaks used for uprooting bark to get to the small bugs inside. They also enjoy nuts and berries. Pidgey is level 14 and knows Gust, Quick Attack, Growl, Tackle, Sand attack. Belongs to trainer Justin Owens. Trainer I.D. 4223456."

Minato looked up, and Alu answered, "You know when you're a trainer, you have a trainer card, and your I.D. is a way for competitions, gyms, and other trainers to be able to keep track of who you are. Apparently, this Pidgey belongs to another trainer."

Minato looked at the information again, as it was on the screen, wondering what bug Poke'mon it ate.

Alu laughed. "No silly, there are some things in this world that are the same as in yours, I mean, I guess carnivorous Poke'mon eat each other, but I've never actually seen it happen as I prefer to have my own eat Poke'chow over… each other."

Minato gave a little shudder, changing the subject. "Well, where is this Justin?"

"Hmm…I dunno." Alu shrugged. "Not far…" she closed her eyes, and Minato wondered what other weird phenomonial things she was hiding from him.

Minato gingerly picked up Pidgey as Alu instructed, and it stayed very docily in his arms. "Good Pidgey." Alu soothed, petting the Pidgey's head. It seemed to coo with a faint relieved tone.

"Well, this day is full of surprises." Minato commented, as his curiosity grew. Cradling the small bird that weighed 8 pounds, reminded him of holding a baby, and Naruto's small fragile form popped into his head. He blinked a few times.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

He heard Alu ask, and he replied, "The sun is in my eyes, it's making them burn."

"Like Oh my gosh. Me too." She said, in a weird girly way.

She could read minds, he didn't get why she would ask if she could just intrusively find the answer herself.

"Just makin' conversation." She responded.

"Right, conversation." He responded, finding it very difficult not to roll his eyes.

The Poke'mon lay in his arms peacefully, and he was intrigued by it. Alu grinned; she wondered if he'd forgotten about his want to go to the gym as fast as possible.

"Do you sense the trainer?" he asked her as they neared the end of the forest.

"Lemme check…" she responded and she closed her eyes. "Yes… he's… at the Poke'mon Center in Pewter city."

"Alright, let's get this Pidgey back to its trainer." Minato said assertively. The Pidgey closed its eyes and seemed to have fallen into a fitful sleep. Minato smiled, and the two elapsed into a period of peaceful silence.

"Ya~ay!" Alu explained jubilantly, as she burst through the doors of the Poke'mon Center. Minato followed behind, contrasting her energy with his much calmer demeanor. A short boy about 4"11 ran over, with short brown hair, tussled under his baseball cap.

He had tears in his eyes and cried out, "Pidgey!" as he extended his arms. Minato gently handed the little excited bird Poke'mon over, as it was eager to be reunited with its trainer. Nurse Joy walked over, and bowed gratefully. "Thank you so much, for finding this boy's Pidgey. We had no idea what happened to it after he let it free for a brief flight."

"Sure, it was a good thing we were passing through Viridian Forest." Minato responded lightly, patting the bird's head one last time. It cooed gratefully and then nestled its head into its trainer's chest.

Alu stretched. "So now that we've returned this bird to its owner, can we go now? Oh!" she grabbed Minato by the arm and dragged him over to the desk with another Nurse Joy behind the counter.

"Wha? What?" he said confused at first. He realized what Alu meant, and he took out his Poke'balls, handing them to the Nurse Joy.

As soon as they were all healed, the two headed for the Pewter Gym for Minato's first gym battle. Alu was grinning from ear to ear, because she had left out a piece of (probably) vital information about the gym leader from Minato. She couldn't wait to see his reaction when he found out how _old _the gym leader was.

"I hear this Forrest guy is quite the character," Alu said, grinning at Minato, who felt like something bad was about to happen. He checked his back pack, to make sure Alu hadn't tried anything funny. Assured that she was just being weird, he continued to ignore her, and the two came to the entrance of the gym. Minato whistled. The building was(put description here. moving oooon)

"He's very _child-like _in his physical and mental abilities." She emphasized, and

Minato smirked. "OH really? Like you?"

Alu laughed. "Very funny." She said, grinning. She skipped inside, and he followed her. Inside, were some trainers with their various Poke'mon, and all of them looked like they'd been through a tough time battling the Gym Leader.

Alu watched as Minato calculated his surroundings, and she grinned. Minato looked at her and asked, "Ok, so… how does this work? Do I call out to him or what?"

"Just say you're here to challenge Forrest of the Pewter Gym. The rest will take care of itself." Alu responded and she skipped ahead of Minato to the arena where Minato figured was where the gym battle would soon take place.


	9. Chapter 8 Meeting Forrest!

_**Minato's Decision**_!

Alu kept making weird clues about Forrest which I didn't exactly get. She kept giggling and skipping ahead of me, which to me, made me feel very disturbed. My mind was set on finding Forrest, so I could challenge him and get on with getting a step closer to returning home to Konoha. My heart beat was a constant reminder of my being alive.

I saw some teenage boy fighting a younger boy with a freakish looking bat. It was purple with four wings and small yellow eyes with red pupils and it kept going, "Cro, Cro."

I looked at the Poke'mon the teenager had and it was a small fluffy sheep looking creature. In my head the name clicked. "That's a Mareep!" I thought, watching as it let loose another bolt of electricity, which the other creature dodged nimbly.

Dexter beeped in my pants pocket, so I pulled him out, and a hologram of the purple bat creature appeared as Dex said, "Crobat, the bat Poke'mon. Crobat is faster than its pre-evolutions and evolves from a Golbat via happiness. Crobat is a cave dweller and has an ability to sneak up on its prey. Need to be closer in order to scan for moves." I guessed even the Dexter had its limits to its abilities.

"Sooo, you ready for your match?" Alu asked me, grinning. I figured I'd be as ready as felt which didn't count for much. I knew what I was fighting for, and I wouldn't give up my mission.

I heard the short brown haired boy shout, "Go! Use poison fang!" to which the Mareep got beaten as it wasn't fast enough to dodge, and I couldn't help but notice the fast agility that the bat possessed.

I watched keenly as the Mareep being poisoned, finally fainted after putting up a tarrowing fight. The teenage boy returned his Poke'mon and I watched as he shook hands with the other trainer after the referee who was wearing a yellow and black striped outfit waved the red flag. I looked around, and realized Alu had somehow gotten down the steps and to the ref before I'd even become aware of her absence. She talked with the short boy, and pointed in my direction. That's when it hit me. The Gym leader of this city….was a young kid? I saw her motion to me and my feet numbly moved while my brain was still processing this newly discovered information. As I saw it though, perhaps this kid was a prodigy, like Kakashi had been. Kakashi had been made a Jonin at thirteen, but what was not to say that there were plenty of younger ninja than him that were stronger than me. So, it wasn't as big as a shock that this kid was strong.

"Hurry it up! Ya slowpoke!" Alu shouted at me.

"I'm coming, geez. You're so loud." I complained.

"THANKS!" she replied, grinning at me with a mischievous glint.

The boy eyed me with an acute interest, and then pointed at me. "So is this the newbie that dares challenge me? Forrest of the Pewter Gym?"

I stared at him, taken aback by his abrupt attitude. "Alright then, Minato, let's battle after lunch then. I still need to heal my Poke'mon and feed them. I need to pick another partner for battling you." Forrest told me.

"Lunch is very important meal!" Alu said, grinning. I was at a loss for words, and could only stare after him, as he exited with the referee.

"Now what?" I groaned. I'd wanted to get this match over with as soon as possible.

"Oh chillax." Alu said, waving her hand at me. "Since Forrest is busy at the moment, why not explore Pewter city for a bit? He'll be back in an hour." She suggested this with such enthusiasm I knew that No wasn't gonna be an option. I can't believe I'm having my life controlled… by a loud obnoxious spontaneous teenager…. I sighed again but followed Alu as she exited the Gym. I looked back at it, longingly, wishing that the kid would finish his lunch or whatever it was fast, so that I could be on my way.

"I know!" I heard Alu exclaim brightly, "Let's go explore Pewter Museum! It's full of fossils and other old stuff!"

"That's the point of a museum." I said, raising my eyebrows at her.

"L.O.L. I know that!" she laughed, and we headed off to the Pewter Museum.

*****************************…******************************

When we arrived around ten minutes later, we found a sign posted outside, and it read:

We are sorry for the inconvenience, but the Pewter Museum has been closed for renovations at the moment.

I looked up at the museum, and then at Alu. She was thinking, and as a smirk spread across her lips, I couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in my stomach. She looked both ways, and then she whistled, and walked to the other side of the Museum. I looked around, to see if anyone else had noticed this idiot, but no one was within site at the moment. "Come on Sparky!" she called to me happily.

"Alu!" I growled, "This is illegal!"

"That just adds to the fun!" she snickered.

I refused, and I shook my head. Folding my arms across my chest I stubbornly refused to move. Alu's face dropped. "Awww.. come on..Mina-chan~" she began.

"No, and don't call me Mina-chan!" I said stubbornly.

"Goody goody- chan." She pouted.

"Ya, notice how goody guys stay out of trouble." I pointed out, rolling my eyes.

She rolled her eyes. I could tell she had a comeback but whatever it was, she wasn't gonna use it. My stomach suddenly growled.

"I guess… we'll just eat then." Alu said, resignedly. I looked at her surprised. She had given up surprisingly easier than I thought possible. She smiled again, and skipped on past me, singing "Minato's a wimp, Minato's no Pimp. He aint got nothing that can beat me. He's got a big head don't know which one's bigggerrrr~"

My face turned red after I'd processed what she'd said. I groaned. "Alu…"

"Yes?"

"Please shut up."

"L.O.L."

We ate at a small restaurant when all of a sudden a poke'mon flashed out from Alu's waist. I nearly choked, looking at it. It was a small raccoon looking creature. It had zigzags on its fur, its fur literally were zigzags. It had huge brown eyes, and a black stretched out ovaluar mask. "Zigzago~on!" it exclaimed.

I pulled out my Dex, and it scanned the small raccoon. "Zigzagoon, the small raccoon poke'mon. Zigzagoon's fur is zigzagged, and its muzzle is jagged and it has spiky ears. When it opens its mouth, two small fangs can be seen. This poke'mon is very common and is from the Hoenn region. Its special ability is "Pick up" where it can locate random items. This creature is very curious, and runs in zig zags when it is excited. When it evolves into Linoone, it can _only _run in zigzags, it cannot make turns." I found the creature like all the others to be intriguing. Alu slipped it some of her burger. The Zigzagoon eagerly chomped it.

My stomach churned. I had just ordered a salad and water. I wasn't used to eating poke'mon. "Alu… are you aware that you're turning it into a cannibal?"

She laughed. "Chillax." She said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Well… I figured it was her poke'mon, so I just focused on eating my salad.

I wondered why it had come out and actually… how it had come out.

"Apparently, they can come out if they don't want to be in their ball." Alu said, shrugging.

I bit my tongue accidentally. " Alu!"

"What? What? You asked." She pointed out.

Yeah I did…in my HEAD. I complained.

She laughed. "Ok Minato." She said, "I need to tell you some stuff that will help you against Forrest."

My interest was instantly alerted. "I'm listening."

After we'd eaten, it was time for the battle. We headed over to Pewter gym, and my heart beat faster as we neared my first match. One gym badge would get me one step closer to returning home. I figured, if I managed to get all the badges in half the time Alu predicted, and then I could see Naruto before 12 years.

I entered the gym and was met with a "Well, it took you long enough, old man." from the gym leader Forrest. I remained with a poker face. I was used to taunts, we were trained to control our emotions at ninja academy and I excused this rash behavior with the simple excuse that he was just a rowdy ten year old.

"Where are your siblings or your parents?" Alu asked curiously.

"Ma and Pa are out with them, they're all on a camping trip. I'm a big boy; I can take care of this place." Forrest said, puffing out his chest proudly.

"The more important thing at hand, you, you ready for a butt-kicking defeat?" he declared. I grinned back. "That's my line kid!"

His eyes flashed angrily. "I'm not a kid!"

I snorted. As far as I was concerned, he was.

"LET'S BATTLE!" Forrest said, and took his place at his end of the gym. The referee raised the yellow flag, "The match between Forrester of Pewter and the challenger Minato from the Katon region, is commencing now!" I shot Alu a glare, but she merely grinned and waved. I knew she said I didn't need to worry about enemy ninja but… still! I shook it off, I had a match to win.

"RHYHORN!~ battle stance!" and out flashed a rhino like poke'mon. I didn't have time to get out my Dex. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I recalled what Alu had told me, and I was going to have to battle based on that knowledge. It was a small rhinoceros-like creature with a body of gray and had rocky plates with a ridge on its back. It had visible fangs protruding from its upper jaw. Rhyhorn had four short legs with two claws and a triangle-shaped head with a single, short horn. Rhyhorn had mall triangular openings on the sides of its head, which must've be ears.

I knew Rhyhorn was a Rhyno poke'mon, and that it's weak to water, but, Squirtle was one of my weakest right now… I recalled what Alu had told me during lunch.

She'd said that just because a poke'mon has more experience and is a higher level doesn't always mean that it can win if the opponent has a type advantage. So I knew I had a chance with Squirtle and also I had Bulbasaur to help me out as well. Charmander would get its chance later. I didn't think I'd be able to use it for this battle.

The Rhyhorn snorted, and stamped its feet impatiently. It was big enough to ride, and I wondered how any of my poke'mon would be able to beat it. Well, I can see now why Gym battles aren't easy… I thought, but that made me more determined to win.

I made my decision. "Go! I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Now, it was time to test my skill as a trainer!


	10. Chapter 9 Broken Bonds

The Ryhorn let loose with its small battle cry but Bulbasaur remained calm and merely yawned. I watched Minato curiously, wondering how he would surprise me next with his unique ideas. He was surely goin to win, and I had no doubt about it so to support him I called out, "You're goin to get your ass whipped by Forrest! Just letting you know~"

I saw a cloud loom over Minot's face and I chuckled. I was gonna have oh so much fun with this guy. I still needed to get him to trust me more, but I didn't know how yet.

See, he apparently only traveled with me cuz I made it clear that was the only way for him to get home. Pretty sure I'd have to do more to actually get him to trust me.

I leaned back on the bench, yawning. Oh, I thought as I saw Minato command Bulbasaur to use tackle again. I knew he'd have to do better than that to beat that rock head Rhyhorn.

Forrest yelled, "Go Rhyhorn use Fury Attack!"

"Dodge it and use leech seed!" Minato countered.

The two of them battled vigilantly. Bulbasaur and Rhyhorn both were fighting

at their best, and neither were unscathed.

I smiled as Rhyhorn charged straight but rumbled with surprise as the little green creature suddenly disappeared.

It stopped and looked around confused, wondering what it was supposed to be

doing. Poor Rhyhorn, they had a "one track mind" nature.

"No Rhyhorn! Don't forget you are supposed to catch Bulbasaur and then use

Rock Blast!" called out Forrest annoyed.

The Rhyhorn looked at Forrest and then suddenly it cried out in surprise.

Bulbasaur had hit its mark.

"Ok now use tackle!" Minato commanded, and I could tell he was all pumped up.

This made me happy because this meant that he was warming up already to the world I'd landed him in. I wanted him to know more about me and I wanted to learn more about him.

I decided not to read his mind because I wanted to see how he was planning to win this match. Why does he keep using tackle? I told him it wouldn't do much... I thought surprised.

Forrest called out, "Go! Use Rock Blast again!" and his Rhyhorn smashed one of the jagged boulders on the field.

A Poke'mon cannot use certain moves that require certain elemental resources unless they are provided.

This was only for certain moves though.

Rhyhorn roared; smashing the boulder into seven unequally sized rocks and then the rocks were sent flying at Bulbasaur who managed to dodge the first two but got trapped between the last five. It wriggled its small form around, managing to somehow release itself, and used tackle to crack the five rocks. Ryhorn roared and sent more rocks blasting Bulbasaur's way, and Bulbasaur was agile and quick to dodge.

Suddenly Rhyhorn glowed with a greenish tint and it roared distressed as its remaining

energy was sapped into Bulbasaur who glowed with a healthy light.

"Ryhorn!" exclaimed Forrest distressed. His partner swayed and then toppled over, fainting.

I saw Minato calmly call back Bulbasaur, and was slightly disappointed. I'd expected him to show a little more enthusiasm about winning.

Guess not.

I clapped. "Way to win Mina-chan!" I said, giving him a thumbs up. I could just imagine a vein twitching in his forehead annoyed. I skipped down the steps un-phased. I liked calling him Mina-chan, and plus, he did act like a girl.

"Don't call me that! Seriously!" He said annoyed.

I shrugged. "Freedom of Speech."

Minato rolled his eyes, "Nothing you say is free, and it always has an impact even if you don't realize it yourself." He pointed out.

I grinned from ear to ear. "Look at you, Mr. Philosophy"

He rubbed his temples and I supposed he was trying to get rid of the headache I had induced on him. I tended to do that a lot apparently. And to think, I only knew the guy a month, bout four weeks including the time he'd been zonked out from recovering.

"That match went quicker than I thought..." I said smiling sneakily. "….Kinda like it happened in a flash."

Minato responded, "It's easy once you get the hang of it." easily deflecting my pun. I showed my pouty face.

"Well done Minato." Forrest congratulated him to Minato's surprise. After the way he

had first been treated, he hadn't expected Forrest to be so… adult like. "As gym leader of Pewter gym, I award you this Boulder badge." he handed Minato the badge and Mimato stared at for a sec and then looked at me.

I wondered why and then it hit me. I hadn't given him a badge case yet.

"Hey... What do I do with this?" he asked.

"Hold on." I said and I quickly rummaged in my bag for his blue badge case. Here we go! I thought and I opened it up for him.

He took it and I just had to know what he was thinking so I sneaked an eavesdrop.

Hmm... Ok one badge down... 7 more to go. Then I'll be able to return home! He was

thinking.

I made a mental note to make myself clearer, cuz I hadn't been sure if I had. I tend to forget things easily.

"Actually you have five more regions to go which is actually forty more badges plus seven."

I said then I whistled while Forrest looked at me and Minato whose face showed

impending doom. I forgot if I had already told him this, but either way, his face apparently clearly expressed the he had forgotten.

"Relax dude, it'll go by in a flash. It'll happen so fast you won't realize it until after." I grinned.

I saw Minato clench his fists trying to control himself. Uh oh spaghettio... I made him mad again.

I quickly followed up with "Well anyways, our next stop is the Poke'mon center and then Mt. Moon to get to the next town."

He had already turned and was heading for the door ignoring me.

I shook my head slightly annoyed now. Forrest looked after him and asked, "Why is he upset?"

"Oh, he's just on his period." I said jokingly masking my sinking feeling.

"Gotta go!" I ran after him.

"Look..." I started as we exited, but was cut off abruptly. "I don't want to hear it right now. You have completely taken me on this wild ride and I have no idea what to expect from you anymore."

"What? Dude, I'm doing this for your benefit!" I said incredibly ticked at his attitude.

He looked at me, darkly. "My benefit huh?... it would benefit me if you'd just send me back already. I'm not so weak that I can't protect myself from other ninjas. I'm the Hokage. I think I can handle myself."

"Must I remind you who basically sold his soul to the devil's little helper, cuz if that shinigami you summoned was an angel, then I'm a baboon's backside." I shot back at him.

"I had no other choice! I don't know when you got there, but it was obvious that in order to-"

"-yeah yeah, in order to save the village and your family and all that fine chivalrous crap, but you didn't have to! There must've been another way!" I shot at him. I glared at him, and we had begun to attract some stares from people passing by.

"You… you probably never had to look out for anyone but yourself!" he threw his hands up angrily exasperated. "Why? Cuz no one likes to be around a know- it- all blabbermouth hyper child! No. You don't understand! I had a family, a son, A VILLAGE to protect. It wasn't about what was convenient for me, it was to protect everyone! I would've had to seal the fox either way in Naruto and myself. So no, I DIDN'T have a choice, and you and your optimistic crap shows just how much of a child you still are!" he flared at me. I blinked back a few tears, stunned. I had saved his life, I was giving him a second change at life…so why was he getting so mad at me?

"I… " my voice echoed. This was like the earlier conversation with Kyuubi. I couldn't believe how ungrateful this idiot was…so narrow-minded… "You know what. Fine." I said abruptly. Minato looked at me, and I could sense he was annoyed still but was waiting for me to continue. What a gent, I thought, seething. "You say you don't need me, ok, you can find some other girl with portal powers to send you home. On top of that, have fun getting that seal on your chakra undone. I forgot to mention this, but anyone but me will get burned internally if they try undoing it. Just so you know. Of course, you're the _Hokage, the master of everything, _so surely a little ol' chakra seal that burns others except me will be a peace of cake for you to undo, but, that's just so you know. I mean, not like I know as much as you about life and death, and yes, I hadn't had to look out for anyone but myself before and this is why! Cuz people are so ungrateful! Oh, but I'm sure you don't care. Which is fine, cuz you know what? You can get home yourself. Oh one prob, everyone _thinks your dead, _but that's just so you know. Go on. GO, have fun in Mt. Moon!" I turned, blinking back a few angry tears, and I ran away, fast, leaving Minato behind.

That idiot! Jack$$! I thought. He hated me so much then why not quit before now! Despite what I said about being his only way back, he could've still just left. I slowed, ducking into an alley. I sat on my knees, arms wrapped around, staring at the small cracks along the dried muddy ground. It had rained a while ago, but now the sun had dried it all up. I let the angry tears slide down, biting my lip. I felt like maybe, I'd gone too far, but then I flared up as I remembered how he'd called me immature. I was a fucking teenager, what'd he expect? I wasn't raised to kill people at 12 like he was! I'm not as mature… I knew that, and a part of me wanted him to call for me. But my hopes were dashed twenty minutes later, when I decided, he really… wasn't gonna look for me. I sighed. I rubbed my eyes, and got up. I had managed to calm down. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

Alrighty, I thought, looking up at the clouds snailing across the sky. I'll still monitor him and Kushina, but, if he doesn't want me in the way…then why should I interfere any more? Besides, I'd already told him pretty much everything he needed to know. Also, I'd put all our Poke'money in his pouch. It totaled to be around 5500. Well, at least he'd be ok for a while with that. I felt the tears start up again, and rubbed my eyes furiously. Dammit, he's not important! Just cuz he's being stupid!... I don't need to bother myself with that guy any more than I have to… I couldn't send him back right now anyways. The real reason why it would take six years, was because I had used so much of my life force, just to revive him. He had no idea but, saving his life, had nearly killed mine. I hadn't told him any of this because I thought it was irrelevant and it wasn't any of his concern.

I saved him that night, because I saw him as valuable. I saw him and Kushina both as incredible ninja. I saved their lives, because I felt that by doing so, I could give Naruto… his two parents. I knew that he would be parentless for 12 years, but I knew that he'd be ok somehow. He was their son after all. At least, his parents would be alive… that was what I'd originally thought. I wanted Minato to know that I was there for him… I realized, I didn't just see Minato as a guy to make fun of, I needed him cuz to me… he was my friend… and I realized how important he was. I was…a portal master, I had the ability to cross space and enter other worlds. I had often watched Minato because he had caught my attention as interesting. I had always been awkward around people; I never opened up to anyone because I didn't want to go through the pain that I was going through right now. I gripped my chest, it hurt so much. I wanted him to be in my life. I wanted to see him smile, laugh, and be happy… I wanted… him and Kushina to have a second chance at happiness. He had grown on to me unexpectedly. Even though we only had known each other for a month, I didn't want that to end…

This is why… I always kept my distance from others, I thought sadly. The pain of a broken friendship…was too much. Even if, he didn't see me as a friend, to me, he was. As this dawned on me, I got up and ran. I ran through the streets, bumping into people, tears blinding my vision. I arrived at the spot where we'd blown up at each other, and he wasn't there. I looked around desperately, wiping my eyes. "Minato… Minato….you moron…" my voice trembled. I saw a young trainer with his Ivysaur, sitting at a table at a small café across from where I'd blown up at Minato. I wiped my eyes, and tried to appear normal as I walked over. "Excuse me, have you seen a blonde guy, spikyish hair, blue eyes, kinda tall. In his twenties?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as level as possible.

The boy in his red cap looked up at me, and nodded. "Oh yeah, that guy left twenty minutes ago in the direction of Mt. Moon."

"Oh…" my voice echoed hollowly within me. That meant he'd left right after I did… which meant, he really didn't care for me at all. That idiot… I shook my head.

"Are you ok Miss?" the boy asked worriedly.

I smiled weakly at him, "I'm fine. Really." I turned and I ran in the direction of the Mt. Moon. I didn't care that he didn't need me. It didn't matter to me that he was a narrow-minded jerkwad when it came to my maturity. I didn't care about those things! I saved his life, I saved Kushina's life. I needed them both to trust me! What I most wanted right then though, was just to see him again. I know I was being selfish in wanting him to need me, but… truth was… I needed him. It wasn't anything Romantic at all. No, I didn't like him like that at all! He just meant a lot to me… and I know I hadn't really treated him right… I promise I'll be better! I thought, as I ran; the scenery around me all blurring together looking more like a watercolor painting and less real. I came to the entrance of Mt. Moon. Please! I thought as I ran into the tunnel. Darkness surrounded me, "Let's go Mareep! Use Flash!" I said, calling my Ai by its species name. Ai bleated and a white light shone from the tip of its tail, illuminating the cave. I ran with Mareep, down that tunnel road, hoping to run into Minato. I couldn't sense him by chakra because it was sealed, and there wasn't any other way for me to know where he was right now because my energy was still low. I had to recharge after my last check up on Kushina. Minato… I'm sorry! I thought, desperately. I'm sorry! I kept thinking over and over. I saw his form in front of me, turning and walking away, and I ran after it, reaching out, wanting him to turn back around. I knew he wasn't really there. My voice choked in my throat, and my Mareep was trying to keep up with my speed. Finally I slowed down; I was in the middle of the cave. I had to climb some stairs to get to the top of the mountain, and I had reached the first of the four stairways. He wasn't anywhere to be seen, nor were any other trainers in the area. I looked up and saw some Zubat asleep upside down on the high cave ceiling.

Minato….was gone….

Suddenly I heard a small cry of pain from a poke'mon a floor above. I heard laughter. Mean, uncouth laughter. What the hell? I thought. I looked at Mareep, whose eyes blazed angrily. Something wasn't right. "Let's go Mareep!" I commanded, wiping my eyes. I called out Abbey, and she teleported us up a floor. We hid behind some rocks, and I returned Abbey.

I looked around the boulder and saw to my surprise a Grunt of the notorious Team Rocket. He was attacking a poor _Pichu_ with his Zubat. "Pii…chuuuu!" the little creature cried defiantly, shocking the Zubat and unfortunately itself.

That guy! I thought, gritting my teeth. How dare he pick on poor Pichu! What was a Pichu even doing in these parts? They were rare, so I figured this guy was a poke'mon dealer; dealing in capturing rare poke'mon and then selling them for a profit. I really, hated people like this.

"Let's go Ai! Use Thundershock!" I yelled.

"Maaaa…reeeeeeeee!" it exclaimed pumped, and a blast of electricity shocked both the Team Rocket Grunt and his Zubat.

"What the hell!" the Team Rocket Grunt exclaimed angrily. His Zubat fainted and he quickly called it back. "You little punk! I'll get you for that!"

I smiled nastily. " Bring it on, I'm fired up and raring to go!" I exclaimed.

I really, hated guys like these.

"Go, Venosaur!" the Team Rocket Grunt called out.

I looked on in shock. I hadn't known about that. My mind had been clouded up, so I couldn't read minds like normally. I had to be calm to do that. Right now, I was just so unsettled. Well that's fine! I thought, This way it's not as boring! I returned Mareep quickly, and then summoned Blaze, my Cyndaquil.

"Go! Use Overgrow!" called out the Grunt. An earthquake erupted beneath my feet, and suddenly both I and Cyndaquil were tangled up in huge thick roots. They restrained us, and Cynder tried to use flamethrower but then Venasaur used sleep powder on it. Cynder did its best to keep its eyes open.

"Cynder! NO!" I cried out hopelessly. Dammit, I thought, this isn't…like me…. now both me and my poke'mon were in trouble. I had to get it together.

"Hey… " the Grunt commented, "You're that girl!" he exclaimed. Crap. I thought. I remembered that he was on my enemy organization list. I was part of the Poke'mon Rangers whose job it was to take down the bad guys who mistreated poke'mon. I had been disguised as a normal trainer though, so as to not raise suspicion. My Gig's up. I groaned. I recognized who the grunt was. "Anthony." I gasped. I hadn't recognized him at first because of the black cap, but I would recognize that familiar red hair anywhere. He grinned at me. "Well, looks like the shoe is on the other foot. Won't the boss be pleased to know I've just captured one of the notorious Rangers."

I couldn't use my powers here. Truth was, only Spencer who was part of the Poke'mon Rangers and Minato knew of my abilities. I'd known Spencer for a few years; he was the one who took me in. He was also a top Ranger, and it was because of him, that I decided to become a Poke'mon Ranger. How I'd even gotten these powers… was a different story… and it was cuz of these powers that I had been able to rescue Minato and Kushina.

*flash back time*

The fire was all around me. Above, below, left, right, no matter where I turned, it was there. I cried out, "Help!" but no one could hear me. I was alone in that burning temple, and all because of a dare.

I had lost a bet with some kids, and I had been dared to enter the temple of Arai, the Legendary Space Poke'mon. _**Kitsurai **_was a cross between a Ferret and a Fox, and had the ability to travel through portals it seemed. This Legendary was rarely seen, and was thought to only be myth. Not one had been seen since over five hundred years ago. There was no record of it, because it wasn't considered a Poke'mon, if it didn't exist.

There was a small shrine within the Hoenn Region, dedicated to this creature non the less, in the hopes that it would one day, return to this world. I normally kept to myself, but decided to try to fit in with other kids my age. I was only 12 at the time, and I hadn't really been a social person before that.

One of the boys in the group had told me, if I couldn't hold my breath for 2 min, then I'd have to enter the temple. I thought it was a stupid idea, but I wanted to fit in, so I just did it anyways. Not like, if I lost I'd die or anything. I managed to hold my breath for up to a minute before it all came rushing out. The kids laughed and I laughed too.

"They say that the ghost of the Kitsurai dwells within its chambers." A boy said, trying to look intimidating.

"With huge fangs, and red eyes that can burn you where you stand." Another one added.

The only other girl in our little group of four squealed. "Stop it you guys! That's creepy!" the boys laughed.

"Come on Alu! You can do it!" they said, grinning at me. The girl and I looked at each other, and the girl gulped.

"I'll be fine." I assured her, smiling my best smile. I walked up the steps to the temple, and placed a hand on one of the door handles. The handle was beautiful, and roses where intricately sketched onto the two Rose wood doors. I took a deep breath, when I heard a yell behind me. I whirled, and saw a huge Charizard and on the back, some woman with blue hair. Her eyes were covered by her black glasses, and she wore gloves. The Charizard roared again, and let loose its flamethrower on the ground. The oldest in our group, Anthony, summoned his Squirtle. Sheldon the girl called out her Dratini and Ryo called out his Wartortle. The woman merely grinned, and the Charizard started up a blaze around the three and their poke'mon. "Little kids shouldn't play in a big scary forest!" the woman sneered. I glared at her.

"Wartortle! Use Water Gun!" Ryo commanded. His poke'mon tried but the water turned to steam. "No way! Our water types will fry! We'll fry!" they all cried out.

"Stop it!" I shouted. The woman looked at me for the first time.

"I suggest you leave here kid." She jeered at me. My hands balled into fists at my side.

"Why are you here!" I yelled.

"That Kitsurai shrine will be no more." The woman sneered.

I gasped. "NO! You can't do that!" I put my arms out, protectively of the shrine, my heart beating fast.

I saw the three run away and grit my teeth together. It was better for them to not be in harms way… still…. Cowards, I thought.

"That shrine is useless! Useless things should be eliminated!" the woman exclaimed.

"You girl, do you know who I am?"

"A creepy ol' hag who blows up stuff!" I retorted.

I saw a vein twitch in her forehead, I tended to do that a lot with people.

"You little -!" she exclaimed, and to avoid the Fire blast move I tumbled clumsily backwards into the interior of the shrine.

"! ARGH!" I exclaimed. I shook my head, and then looked around me. Inside of the shrine, I gasped. Inside, was an _egg?_ This egg was reddish orange, with hints of beige. It was nestled in a small pedestal, and I looked up above me and gasped. A whole history was painted on the ceiling, on the walls. And I watched, as it all burned in the flames that licked and drove itself inside.

"No way…" I gasped, as the smoke made my eyes water. The egg needed to be protected! That woman, she didn't know that a Poke'mon egg was in here! What the hell is a Poke'mon egg doing in the shrine? I thought confused; it couldn't be the legendary… could it?... suddenly I saw a beam above the egg collapse and I cried out, "THE EGG!" and ran across the small room in a few strides, and the beam hit me in the back, and I teared up from the pain. I did my best to shake it off, and Jet flashed out of my waist Poke'belt.

"Squiirtle! Squiirt!" he exclaimed worried. Using his water gun, he put out the fire as swiftly as he could from the beam that was now on top of me. I had managed to protect the egg, and I smiled gratefully, weakly, at my partner, whose red eyes teared up. "Squiirt…" his voice trembled.

The fire was all around us now, and I painfully, pulled myself into a sitting position; the egg, secured in my arms. The now burnt beam merely fell off and bumped to the ashen ground. The shrine was collapsing, nothing we could do about it, but I knew I had to get that egg to safety. Jet was my only Poke'mon friend, the only one who traveled with me. We had both been through a lot together. I couldn't speak because of the smoke, and I began to cough. I heard the Charizard roar faintly in the distance. I assumed that the woman had left after setting fire to the temple. Why would she stay?...

My legs felt heavy but, I knew if I didn't move, I would die. I had no strength though. I tried hard to stand, but I couldn't. I collapsed, but hit my shoulder. I gasped in pain because I had turned to the side when I collapsed, so that the egg would be safe. Why… was this happening to me? "Squirtle…" I choked. "Go… you have to… escape…."

My Jet, my faithful partner for life, refused to budge. "Squuirt! Squiiirtle!" it cried, and I could've sworn, it said, "_No! I won't abandon you!_" and I…felt happy.

I must be imagining things…. But I guess when you're about to die… no… I thought… tears began to well up in my eyes. I didn't want to die; I didn't want Jet to die. I wanted to live. I wanted my life to mean something!...

I felt warmth emit itself from the egg, and I looked down at the egg I clutched to my chest. It was glowing; it was glowing and turning into something. It slowly glowed and when it finished, it had turned into the Kitsurai. It looked at me, with its cool emerald gaze, and put a foxish paw over my heart. "You… You have saved my life." It said in a silky voice that sounded like wind chimes. "You're deed, will not go unrewarded, and tell me, what is it that you most desire?"

I laughed weakly. What a question… "I…want to live… I want my life to mean something… I want to be someone others can depend on…." I said, and a few tears slid down my cheeks as I looked at Jet who was slowly dying from inhaling the ash and smoke. "I want … to have the power to bring happiness…" I said, and closed my eyes.

"Alu, you're deed will not go un rewarded. I will grant you these powers of mine, use them well, or else they will leave you and never be returned." It said soothingly.

I turned my head to it, "I don't…want that… I just…want to be able …to protect happiness…and prevent pain…"

It gazed at me with intensity. "Very well. I grant you these powers of mine; you want to bring happiness to others? You want to be able to protect what is precious to you…. As long as you believe in your heart, then you are capable of anything…"

I felt myself slipping.

"Rest well child, for tomorrow begins your training as Keeper of the Portals."

*********end flashback********8

That's right… I had these powers… because I wanted to bring happiness… maybe… I really was childish but… I still…. I still wanted to help Minato!

Crap, I thought. I glared at the Team Rocket Grunt, but that only made him laugh, taking my face in his hand. "Nice look for defeat." He jeered at me. I leered back at him, but this seemed to merely amuse him. "Venasaur, use sleep powder." I tried to blow away the purplish powder that settled like dandruff on me, but it was too strong. As I was pulled into a deep sleep all I could think was how I wished that I could've told Minato how I really felt….that I didn't hold a grudge…. For the first time in my life, I knew what it was like…to take something for granted and then lose it…


	11. Chapter 10  Rescuing a Comrade!

She left Minato standing there, as she turned and ran away. Minato, looked on, but his expression appeared merely glazed, as she disappeared from his vision. What just happened… he thought stunned. He had been mad at Alu, for tugging him around like on a fish hook, and man, was he hooked. He just wanted her to be clearer, so why she blew up on him was beyond him. It was probably the way I put it, he concluded. But still… I am annoyed. I understand that she doesn't mean me harm, and I get that she is here to help me get back to my world, but … there is so much I don't understand about her. So much I still don't understand… about anything.

You know what, who gives a damn! He thought angrily. She was the one at fault. Not me. I'm the victim here! He shook his head, and ran off in the direction of Mt. Moon. I'll find some other way! There has to be another way! There just has to be! But even as he thought this, he felt that…it was an unrealistic hope. She was his only way back. Dammit…he thought bitterly. He slowed, and then looked back, and he realized, that he really did…need her. Damn, why me? He thought sourly. Just as quickly as his anger came, it evaporated. Ah…he shook his head. What the hell? Why'd I get so mad?...the hell…I knew she said it'd be a while…I've never snapped like that….

Minato realized that it must've been… he gripped his stomach; it was… Crap! He thought. The Kyuubi must've taken both his and its resentment and turned it against Alu. That meant… it wasn't entirely my anger! He thought. Minato turned back in the direction of the city, knowing that he had to find her! Explain to her; let her know that… what he said wasn't from his own anger…at least, not entirely.

******(***)*****

He turned, and ran in the same direction that Alu had taken off in, picking up speed, trying desperately to see her. He a passed by a few alleys, on the way, glancing only for a mere second; he thought he saw a girl resembling Alu bunched up in one, but figured he was imagining it, and kept running on, not stopping.

Tak! Tak! Tak! His feet seemed to grind into the ground, as he propelled himself forwards.

Alu! Where are you? He thought desperately, panting slightly. The faces around him blurred, his mind set on just looking for one in particular. Where could she have gone? He thought exasperated. He stopped, panting, and looked around, seeing if she had gone into any of the shops. Maybe….that girl I saw back there… was Alu! He thought, heart racing. He turned and sprinted back hoping that it was her. When he arrived though, there was no girl in the alley. I must've imagined it…. he finally decided. His heart sank, but he didn't give up. He couldn't. She was his only way back. Not only that…she was the only one who could help him. Without her, he was…utterly alone.

He walked over to the fountain, by a small café, across from the gym, and sat on the edge, listening to the water gushing out of what appeared to be a fish dragon or dinosaur, he couldn't tell. He stared at the reflection in the water; saw his own face gazing back at him, mirroring the confusion he felt inside.

He thought back to what she'd said, about how there was another way. Another way? To not die? To save Naruto and Kushina? Another way to do it all over… that childish thinking… it wasn't useful at all. If there was …any other way…. "Don't you think… I would've taken it…" he whispered, sadly. "Eh?" a few tears slid down his cheeks, and he shook his head; he rubbed his eyes furiously, he couldn't show weakness.

His whole life….his whole future…was changed… and it was all because…of Madara. My anger… I took it out on her… I shouldn't have… she had told me it'd be six years before I'd return… and then…there's controlling Kyuubi… I know I can't return to the village yet...but … I…I….

He buried his face in his hands, trying to take deep breaths. He heard a flash, and felt small claws on his leg. He raised his head, to see Bulbasaur, gazing worriedly at him. "Bulba…saur…?" it questioned.

Minato caressed its face, gently, and hugged the little green creature close. It snuggled closely in his arms. This world…there is so much I don't understand…. The stress…finally got to me…and I snapped… he thought. He cringed when he remembered what he'd said…

***flashback*****

"_You… you probably never had to look out for anyone but yourself!_ _Why? Cuz no one likes to be around a know- it- all blabbermouth hyper child! No. You don't understand! I had a family, a son, A VILLAGE to protect. It wasn't about what was convenient for me, it was to protect everyone! I would've had to seal the fox either way in Naruto and myself. So no, I DIDN'T have a choice, and you and your optimistic crap shows just how much of a child you still are!" _

**********end flashback*************

I know…. I sounded harsh… but… I can't think like her. I'm not…as innocent or … child-like in my thinking, he thought, biting his lip. He looked up at the clouds, slowly inching their way across the sky, as though without a care in the world. He off taskly wondered, I wonder…what Naruto is doing right now… how is…Jiraiya sensei? I hope Kakashi and Rin are ok…

He looked down at Bulbasaur. This creature… this world… to think….that there were other worlds than just my own. As for that girl…Alu… she just… saved me to give me a second chance… and it's not like she denied my right to return… I was the one being immature…not only that… but my connection with Kyuubi somehow is linked to my anger…and I ended up…hurting the only person who I actually knew in this world…I'm probably stuck here for good now… he thought gloomily. Bulbasaur rubbed its little head against his wrist, and he absently petted it on its head, between its two small triangular ears. "Bulba…bulba…saur.." it said. He had no idea what it was saying, and remembered Alu's ability to talk to pokémon. He didn't realize just how unique that girl was…

I really…messed things up. He stood up, and held out the pokéball and returned the creature. He stared at the red and white ball in his hand intently for a few seconds, seeing his reflection vaguely in the refraction of light. He sighed, and pressed the button in the center to make it shrink as Alu had shown him to do. She may be immature…but I acted no better… Minato thought remorsefully. He shook his head. He had to find her, and apologize. It was the right thing to do… it was the only thing he could do.

Where could she be?... suddenly, Bulbasaur flashed out of its ball again. Minato thought it had come out to comfort him but this was not the case. "Bulba! Bulba-saur!" it exclaimed urgently. It took off, running in the direction of Mt. Moon.

"Bulbasaur! Wait!" Minato called out confused and surprised. His partner didn't listen and kept sprinting, and Minato followed suit. They came to the entrance, and Bulbasaur began sniffing around. "Bulbasaur…do you… have Alu's scent?" Minato asked incredulously. It had never occurred to him to use his pokémon to sniff her out.

"Bulba! Bulba~SAUR!" It exclaimed excitedly, tilting its head in the direction of the cave opening.

Alu….she must've gone on ahead without me… he thought, his heart sinking. So then… that meant she'd been serious when she said I was on my own… I guess… I deserved it… he thought deflatedly. He slowed, gazing absently into the cave opening. After he caught up to her…what was he gonna say? ….how could he fix the rift that had now built itself between them because of what he'd said. He hadn't wanted to depend on her, but he had no choice. She's the closest thing to… a friend…she's may be an annoying girl who saved my life…but did she see me as a …friend?…I still don't get why she saved me…what's so great about me?... he tried to come up with an answer, but couldn't, other than that he was the Hokage so that must've been why.

_You're a bloody fool Minato._ He gave a start. What the! _Oh…. I knew it would only be a matter of time…_Kyuubi! Minato thought angrily, clenching his shirt in his fist. Dammit. This is partly your fault! _Oh, but you were so vulnerable, with your anger, it was hardly a challenge to get you to spill how you truly felt. _Minato clenched his teeth. You bastard! I was mad at her childishness, but I never felt like that! At least, not truly! _Oh please, you saw her in the same I did. An innocent little naïve girl. Don't deny you haven't been thinking about how you're better off without her. _It said this calmly with a note of snobbishness. Minato shook his head angrily. No! It's true… I did think of her as childish… but she's not a bad person…and I know I was mad at her… but you…you used my thoughts against me, and not only ruined my chances of getting home, but also drove her away!

_That was the plan. _It slyly replied smugly. Minato's eyes widened in disbelief. Kyuubi… that girl was probably the only one to show you any sort of kindness and this is how you treated it? _Her kindness; is that the cute coverup name you're calling it? I can tell it's merely pity! _It roared in Minato's ears, causing him to cringe. _I'm not stupid! That girl…all you humans only see us as pitiful, as monsters!_

The way you act, the way you destroy … you took away my only chance of getting home. Not only that, you used my anger and fueled me into saying hurtful things! Minato thought angrily. It laughed at Minato, and jauntily replied, _You really are…a fool. Those were your thoughts. Those were your feelings. Don't go pitting the blame on me. You've got no one to blame but yourself! But you already know this…don't you? _Minato tried to find the words to respond, but nothing came to mind. His mind went numbly blank, his arms hung limply at his sides. It's true… she annoyed me…but I never resented her for saving me. _No… you just resent her for leading you on, for keeping you trapped in this world. All you humans are the same. Selfish, self-centered; you're kind are truly the pitiful ones! _It roared in Minato's ears, and Minato clapped his hands over his ears, cringing. He gritted his teeth, his anger flaring up again. _Oh, that's right! Get mad! Get mad! _The fox crowed. Minato wanted to shut the fox the hell up. Leave me …. ALONE! He roared in his mind, and all of a sudden, the fox's obnoxious voice faded until Minato was left with just his own weary thoughts once more, panting slightly. It seems…I can block the fox if I use all my strength… but…

The fox…it can communicate with me, and not only that, but tap into my emotions as well… this is bad… Minato thought tiredly. I need Alu… he thought desperately. I don't care that she hates me now… it doesn't matter…if I could only see her once more…at least tell her….that I'm not mad at her anymore… I just wish… I knew where to find her… His legs felt like silly putty, and he had to sit down quickly. Bulbasaur tugged at his pants with its mouth, agitatedly. Minato looked at it wearily, feeling incredibly exhausted of all motivation, of all energy. What that annoying fox had said kept ringing in his ears, like a continuous buzzing.

Suddenly, he felt the earth shake beneath his feet and stumbled to his feet surprised. What the? He thought surprised, as he heard a rumbling further into the darker depths of the cave. Crap! I can't see! He thought. He used the wall, sticking close to it, running along it hoping it'd lead him to the source of the commotion. He heard annoyed "Zu! Zu! Zu!" from some; what he perceived to be bat pokémon. His Bulbasaur stayed close by his feet, and they both came across the biggest roots that had shot up from the floor of the cave, and apparently, up above. He spotted the stairs, and Bulbasaur tried to scramble up the ladder. "Hold on to me, Bulbasaur!" Minato said quickly, and the little creature, piggy backed on his back, digging its little claws firmly into his jacket, but not enough to hurt him accidentally.

They managed to get up those steps, and Minato quietly and swiftly poked his head up from the stairs opening, and as he got onto the second floor, he saw a person in all black with a black hat, back turned to him. He felt a jolt go through him as he saw who it was; who it was that he was facing. **ALU!** No way… she was trapped in what appeared to be the tips of those huge roots that he'd come across before. They were huge, as thick as half a tree trunk, and wrapped around like coils, constricting both Alu and that little fire type of hers named Cynder. I thought she said this world was less dangerous… he thought, not quite knowing what to make of those giant roots. Whatever did this… must've been one helluva pokémon. They both appeared to be unconscious, and Minato felt like he had to do something.

He observed that the guy had no pokémon out right now. He wasn't sure how strong this guy was… but he had a feeling that he had more experienced pokémon. Still, he had to do something! He wouldn't go charging in, since the guy didn't know he was there, he could use that to his advantage. One thing he'd learned at the ninja academy was that the surest way to not die was to stay hidden and attack first. The Presumptive strike was the most important strike for a ninja because it could determine the outcome of a battle. His Bulbasaur rubbed its face, against his leg, and he knew that it had the same idea of being stealthy as he did. Suddenly though, a loud flash erupted from a pokéball in his pack. "Charr!" exclaimed the little fire lizard angrily, all pumped up. Oh crap! Minato thought surprised and crestfallen. My plan's ruined! Sure enough, the Grunt turned to see Minato trying to return a very hyper Charmander, a look of embarrassment/fretfulness on his face.

"Get lost trainer, I'll spare you since you aren't of any importance to me." the Grunt said in a condescending tone. Minato felt annoyed. How the hell was anyone supposed to ignore the fact that he had a girl and her pokémon trapped in some gigantic roots?

"Sorry but, I can't just overlook this act." He replied coolly. Crap! He thought. Crap! Crap! I don't have very strong pokémon yet… and I know nothing about this guy…so I don't know what to expect… he looked past the grunt and saw Alu; her eyes were closed and she and her fire type appeared to be… sleeping? He couldn't tell. She didn't look like she was in pain. He didn't know if he could…win… what if he couldn't? what if…Alu was?...

No! I can't be pessimistic here! I have to believe in my quickness and mind power! I can do this! She's probably just knocked out from that guy! He thought, and then he heard the guy laugh.

"You may be younger than me, but don't think that means I'll go easy on you!" the Grunt exclaimed. For the first time, Minato noticed a big R on his shirt and cap. R? He thought. This must mean this guy is a part of some organization, and he's obviously the bad guy…

"I challenge you to a battle!" Minato declared. His heart pounded in his ears, but what choice did he have? Choices… he shook his head. He had analyzed the situation, this was the only choice he had… wasn't it? He heard a faint feeble cry behind the Grunt's feet and saw a small buttery colored pokémon limply trapped in a small steel cage with some sort of forcefield around it. "What… is that?" Minato thought taken aback.

The Grunt caught him looking and stepped aside to give him the full on view of the small, big triangular tipped eared creature. It had two small pink circular pouches on each side of its face, and on top of that, it also had black tipped ears, and a small little black scarf like neck with two small triangular black parts as a part of the small black scarf like design around its neck. Its feet were ovular and two toed, while its hands were small and its tail was small, all black, and looked like 2/3 of a Z. flipped upside down and reverse.

"See this Pichu here? It's rare. I plan on selling it for a good sum. I call it my own lil' pay raise." The Grunt explained calmly to Minato who couldn't believe the audacity, the cruelty with which that man was treating that little creature. Alu… you told me this world… was safer… better…. His hand balled into a fist at his side, I guess…. No matter where you are…there will always be some sort of evil to disturb the peace.

"Enough chit chat! Let's battle!" exclaimed the Grunt, and he called out a Zubat. Charmander's tip suddenly blazed, and Minato didn't know why. He saw a battle light in Charmander's eyes, and decided he'd let it battle first.

"Bulbasaur, stand by! I choose you, Charmander!" Minato declared, and his small fire lizard cried out with enthusiasm.

"Don't get cocky! You must be weaker than I first thought… or just plain stupid to fight with those two weaklings!" retorted the Grunt. "Go! Zubat! Use _Toxic Snap_!"

Minato quickly retaliated, even though he didn't know what that move did, he had a pretty good idea. "Charmander! Stay away from those fangs!" he commanded. His partner deftly obeyed and then it opened its own mouth and shot out embers. Bwoh! Bwoh! Bwoh!

The embers shot out and hit the Zubat. "Zuuu!" it exclaimed surprised. "Zubat! Shake it off! Go! Now's your chance! Go! Use Poison sting!" little white light like needles shot out of the Zubat's mouth and pierced in Charmander who cried out in pain.

"Charmander! No!" Minato yelled.

"Again!" crowed the Grunt.

"Charmander! Hang in there!" Minato's Bulbasaur suddenly jumped in front of the blast. "!" Minato thought. "Bulbasaur…." He said surprised.

"Bulba! Bulba….saur!" suddenly, two small vines shot out of Bulbasaur's onion bulb and smacked the Zubat, surprising it. When did it learn that? Minato thought surprised. I must've forgotten to check if it had gotten stronger… that also meant…

Bulbasaur was panting slightly, and Minato realized that he hadn't gone to a Pokémon Center before coming here.

"Hey! Two against one! That's against the rules!" the Grunt yelled.

"Since when did you follow the rules?" Minato exclaimed angrily.

"Heh, true. Go! Venusaur! And Rattata!" out came a huge grass type and Minato realized it must be the final evolution of his Bulbasaur. As for the other one, it was literally, what was in its name; small, and purple, with a huge overbite. What concerned him was the huge Venusaur. Minato needed to come up with a battle strategy, and he had to come up with it fast.

Dammit… he thought, gritting his teeth. Damn…. _You know…it would be easier if you just punched the guy…_the fox sneered in his head. You! I thought I told you to LEAVE ME ALONE! Minato roared in his head, using all his mental power to try to push the fox back. _You know, that won't work right now. _Really? Why not? Minato asked ticked. _Cuz you need me. _This statement stunned Minato. _Face it, you're up against a giant plant dinosaur with razor sharp teeth, even if you did manage to beat those other to freaks of nature, you'd never defeat that thing. But go ahead. You're pride will be your undoing. _ The fox pointed out. My pride… huh…. This match had nothing to do with my pride! It has to do with me having to rescue Alu! _But why? Why not just let her come to and use her wonderful magical powers to fight? She doesn't need us and you don't need her. You just don't like being alone. Do you? _It sneered. Minato shook his head. I'm showing ignoring, he thought. _Good luck with that. _The fox obnoxiously sneered.

He wasn't strong enough to beat this guy… why…why does the stupid fox even care what happens to me?_ Oh don't flatter yourself, you pathetic human waste. I merely hate losing. Besides, if there is one thing you humans and I have in common, it's Social Darwinism. Sadly, if anything happens to you, it also happens to me. _Gee, thanks. Minato thought sourly.

"You haven't attacked for a few minutes now. Well! Do you give up? I might as well let you go… since I'll be gone when you wake up." The Grunt sneered. What? Minato thought, what did he mean by that?

"Go Venusaur use sleep powder!" Yelled the Grunt and Minato realized that if he fell asleep, then he wouldn't be able to save Alu! _Come on boy! Make up your fucking mind! Don't you want to win? _I do… but I'd rather it not be using your help! Minato thought venomously. Besides, my chakra is sealed! _That is true… yours is…but mine isn't. _ Minato was numb. What… what…. Do you mean by that? He demanded furiously, as he quickly returned his Bulbasaur and Charmander. _What I mean is… that girl for one reason or another did not seal my chakra from your usage. Apparently …my theory is that that little bitch wants us to …work together._ She really is a childish thinker! Minato thought fuming. Me and Kyuubi work together? Is. She. Insane. _ Apparently. _The fox responded wearily. Minato suddenly sneezed, and realized that the powder was on him. Oh crap! He tried to shake off the groggy feeling. _You have about two seconds to make your- _ALRIGHT ALREADY! Minato thought annoyed. He put his hands together in the summoning chakra sign, and focused all his energy on summoning the fox's chakra. Suddenly, he felt a power, a strange power, like nothing he'd ever experienced. It engulfed him, and he felt… Invincible. _You owe me big. _Technically your chakra is my chakra now. Minato pointed out. _You selfish humans. I do a good deed and-_ good deed? A second ago you said you didn't care whether I lived or died but since it affected you this gave you no choice! _I like to think of myself as kind and caring. _Minato snorted at the fox's sarcasm. He watched as the orangey red chakra engulfed him, and he saw the Grunt look at him in shock and surprise.

"What the…hell?" he exclaimed, as he saw Minato's body become surrounded by a weird energy. "Well… aren't you interesting!" the Grunt exclaimed. "I am Anthony of the Notorious Team Rocket, and who are you? What is your name?" he asked haughtily.

"My name… is none of your business, but you do have someone captive that I know." Minato said, pointing towards Alu.

"This lil' brat? What's so great about her? Why the hell do you care what happens to her?" the Grunt asked surprised.

"Because she's… my friend." Minato declared. The fox snorted in his head, _You're friend. Oh, that must sound soooo cool. _Shut up. Minato thought. It's true. Yeah, she's annoying, yeah, she's childish, yeah she plays pranks on me and basically stuck me with your chakra and sealed my own while keeping me here for six years…._yeah… she's a keeper. _Now that Minato thought about it… he held his head shaking it side to side furiously. "She's completely taken control of my life!" he exclaimed.

The Grunt looked at him weirdly. "So…that's why you're friends with her?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Minato's face flushed from embarrassment. "I... that is…"

"What I want to know is what the hell you are." the Grunt declared, pointing at Minato. Minato gasped; he remembered that Alu had sealed his chakra in the first place so he wouldn't arouse suspicion. _Hehm, I may have overlooked that one particular detail_ the fox admitted smugly. Damn, that's what I get for actually listening to you! Minato thought angrily. He had wanted to win so bad…that he actually listened to the fox. That's it…as soon as Alu is safe; I am asking her to put a restraining order on this damn fox. _I'm shocked, hurt even. _The fox said, in mock remorse tone.

But the energy coursing through him; he felt powerful. Strong enough to withstand the now ineffective sleeping powder and definitely strong enough to somehow cut those vines; although he didn't know how the fox's chakra would exactly help him with that. With god-like speed he appeared behind the Grunt, and hit the pressure points that would knock him unconscious. His pokémon shied away from Minato, as Minato figured was a natural reaction to the Bijuu's chakra. Even the giant Venusaur backed away. Minato looked at his hands, realizing that he had summoned so much of the fox's chakra at once; because he wasn't sure how to control it at all, and now his fingernails were slightly sharper. He made a slash motion at the giant roots and sure enough, they snapped like twigs against the brute force of his chakra. This…. I almost forgot what it was like to actually be able to use chakra. Although, he noted, this part is new. He got Alu out, and gingerly held her. He looked on her waist and found the pokéball for Cynder. He returned it and then put the ball back in place. He then picked her up and held her in his arms. She was still asleep, and he realized that she'd been hit with the sleep powder attack. He figured she'd just sleep it off, because the attack was temporary, and meanwhile, he had to figure out the off switch for the Kyuubi's chakra. _That's the beauty of it, there isn't one. _Oh, there will be. Minato thought darkly. He couldn't believe that he had been that stupid… to actually listen to the stupid fox. I really have…let my guard down. Well that will be fixed. I'm putting it up ten fold against this conniving atrocious fox demon.

As he thought that though, he felt the same energy that had engulfed him, slowly fade. It's because I'm not fighting anymore… he thought. Although, he hadn't really fought at all in the first place. It's better that way though; I don't know how I exactly feel about punching an animal, unless it's Kyuubi. Then I'll gladly punch him, in order to protect others from his evil doing, I will gladly punch him. _Gee, what a saint you are. _Minato ignored the Kyuubi's insults, and managed to somehow make the Kyuubi's voice fade once again. I think I know how to make his voice disappear, Minato thought. _How? _Oh… Minato groaned. I thought I knew. He decided that from this point forth he would just flat out ignore any of the comments that Kyuubi made.

Then he remembered the little butter colored creature. Alu said in order to catch a wild pokémon it had to be weakened first, and then it could be captured with a pokéball. The little creature gazed up at him with fearful brown eyes, and Minato set Alu down gently letting her rest on the ground. He walked over to the cage, and lifted off the top. "Hey there…" he said gently, softly.

"Piii…..piii…CHUUUUUUUU!" it shocked him out of fright.

"ARRRGH!" Minato yelled as electricity jolted him. He fell backwards on his butt, the fox's laughter ringing in his ears. "Hey now! I'm trying to help you, you know!" he said, slightly annoyed. He could understand why it'd be scared, but really? He just saved it from the bad guy…unless it was just because of the chakra he used.

"Piiiiiii!" it scrambled out of the now open cage, the force field shattered when the chakra had smashed through.

It took off, hurt, but fast, and Minato saw no reason to go after such an ungrateful little thing. Well, at least it's free. He thought moodily.

He put Alu on his back, piggy back style, and she continued to sleep soundly, and he made sure that she wouldn't fall. Then, he figured he'd have to find some way to get her out of the tunnel.

They kept walking for a while, Minato supporting Alu's weight. She was still asleep and Minato continued to walk on down the rocky road, looking to the side of the mountain road, and out below him, he saw the huge Viridian Forest, Pewter city, and even in the far off distance the town he assumed was Palet town and the ocean. The sun was out and bright, and as it shone across the land below him, he realized once again, how amazing this world was. Above him he saw some Pidgey flying around and he walked by some strange boulders while he had been walking down the spiral of the mountain. In order to get to Cerulean city he had to get to the bottom of the other side of the mountain. This was the first time, Minato realized, that he'd seen Alu peaceful and serene. Sleep powder huh?... I should teach Bulbasaur that quick so I can have it handy, he thought jokingly.

His mouth turned up slightly at the corners but at the moment, he felt sort of sad again. He'd managed to find her, but, what if… she didn't want to see him? Would she listen if he said that it was also the fox's fault? Or would she just think he was making excuses? I did sound harsh… he thought deflatedly. He stopped walking for a second, and stood, wondering what he was going to do; what he could say to her when she woke up. She was the key to him getting home. He needed her and even though she put him off as very strange, she hadn't actually done anything harmful to him. Looking at his prospects, he felt that he had no choice at this point. He also needed to ask her why he had been kept in the dark regarding the Kyuubi's chakra. But, all that could wait for now; right now, all that mattered was getting her to someplace where she could rest. He continued at a small sprint now, as he began to see the tips of the taller buildings of Cerulean.

"Mmmm…" he heard her mumble.

"Are you waking up?" he asked her gently.

"What, where am I?" she asked groggily. "Oh…it's you…" she said off handedly.

Minato took that to mean that either she thought she was hallucinating, or she really did hate him.

"You'll be fine now," he said, masking the sudden sinking feeling he had. He didn't want her to hate him, but if she did, then what could he do about it?... "I managed to get you away from that guy. We're nearing Cerulean."

He noticed Alu close her eyes again, and thought she was ignoring him. "Thanks…" he heard her say softly. There was no contempt, anger, or resentment in her voice. She really meant it in a nice way.

He took a deep breath. "Alu…I said some hurtful things…and… I'm sorry." He said. He had slowed and now walked slowly, the wind rippling past them both. He felt her arms tighten around his shoulders, and realized that she was crying. Startled he turned his head slightly to the side, and asked, "Hey… are you ok? Do we need to stop?"

She smiled weakly at him, and buried her face in his back where his hood to his jacket was. "No… don't stop. It's fine. I'm ten times finer than I was." She said; her voice was wavering.

Minato felt like kicking himself. I'm such an adult, making a child cry. He thought, really resenting his own actions; even if he had been mad at the time. "I don't …care… I'm just happy that you really…came back for me." she said, her eyes closed and her breathing became better controlled. "Thanks…Mina-chan…" she murmured and Minato continued walking and the two held a peaceful silence.


	12. Chapter 11 Horseaing Around!

Alu wondered if it had all been a dream. If he really had come back or if… it had just been her dreaming again. She woke up in a bed. This isn't… Team Rocket's dungeon is it? Did they redecorate? She wondered groggily. Then she realized she wasn't being held captive by Anthony. She sat up quickly, looking out the window; it was nighttime, and she recognized this city because this was one of her favorites. I'm in Cerulean city… she thought surprised. She looked down at her hands, gripping the sheets tightly. Then….that meant….Minato…really came back for me! She thought. She was happy, and she nearly jumped out of bed. I want to see him now! She thought to herself grinning, and she was halfway across the room when she froze. Oh… but…what if he yells at me for being childish again… for invading his privacy...

She stopped and stood for a few moments, her sudden burst of happy energy popped. She shook her head. "I really…want to glomp him." she brooded. Maaah. I want a hug, she thought pouting. Well… guess I'll give him one tomorrow…. She looked at the time. It was 11:34 p.m. hmmm…. I kinda wanna prank him…. she thought moping. I get that I should be more mature…but… she folded her arms across her chest thinking deeply about what to do. "Lightbulb!" she said, grinning slyly.

Minato had been tossing and turning all night, because the obnoxious fox had somehow established a connection that enabled it to yatter incessantly in his head. He groaned and hit his face with his pillow. _Rock a by ninja in his little mat hope you fall out and make a big splat. _The fox was singing an annoying nursery rhyme. Go away! Minato groaned. _Hush little baby don't you whine, you're being alive is the worst crime~ and when that seal breaks and I come out~ I will eat you, without a doubt. _That's totally gonna make me wanna work with you…Minato groaned. He grumbled about the fox's incompetence, and then tried to muffle it out. _Before, I could only communicate through your dreams…_the fox said, as though it was the most common thing in the world to have him stuck in there. _If I had a choice, I'd eat you right now. _If I had a choice, I'd never have sealed you inside me. Minato retorted. _But why? Isn't that why you humans always keep us prisoner? For our power? After all, to you, we're nothing but demonic freaky animals of nature, _the fox said coldly. Having your power, is not worth this, believe me, Minato pointed out. The fox's negativity seemed to engulf Minato. Minato sat up quickly, shaking his head. Damn, I need to find some way to prevent us from getting any closer. _But why? I thought that's what she wanted, for us to be…closer. _The fox's tone was dripping sarcasm. Minato shuddered. You nearly killed me, wait no; you killed me, my wife, and tried to kill my son. I don't think we can establish a bond that goes deeper than that. The fox actually laughed. _You amuse me boy. But I still want to kill you. _Great. Minato thought, rolling his eyes. I've always wanted a pet who tries to kill me. The fox flared up at that insult. _You! I'll rip you to shreds! I'm glad you're alive because now I can thoroughly enjoy your painful suffering! _Keep it up; you're already half way there. Minato retorted.

I'm going to sleep! Now, go away! Minato thought as forcefully as he could. He waited a few minutes but the fox was no longer speaking so he knew that he was ok. At least, he hoped that meant the fox was behind a secret barrier or whatever. _Sweet dreams. _It sneered. Lovely. Minato groaned. He felt exhausted from all that had happened that day. After Alu had gone back to sleep around afternoon, she had been asleep all day. All the Pokémon were healed and asleep inside their pokéballs.

He closed his eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.

The sun shone through the window, and Minato felt the warmth on his face from the sun's rays. He opened his eyes, and came face to face with… "ALU!" he exclaimed, his face turning red. She had slipped into his bed while he must've been asleep and was sleeping soundly.

He heard a noise outside the door, and a woman in a kimono opened it, "Good morning sir, is everything-" then she noticed the teenager in his bed but at least she was in her clothes; he didn't think that would matter though.

Minato was awake enough now, to process the seriousness of the situation and knew if he didn't clear this up, he'd be branded a pervert. And that he knew, most definitely wouldn't bode well. "Yes please….more…." she murmured loud enough for both Minato and the Kimono girl to hear. Minato's face turned red from embarrassment. The woman seemed to glare in his direction and he felt endangered. "Give it…to me…."

Ok, her dreams are not helping! Minato thought, frantically. I don't know what she's dreaming about but… "Ok so, this is not what it looks like." He tried to explain. The woman gave him a looong hard look which he did his best to return, but was sweating which didn't help him much.

"I'll leave you and your…girl friend then. I'll bring your food later." The woman said coldly.

"Wait!" Minato exclaimed, "This is… she just…" ok me, I need to think of something… "This is because she's… my sist…er…" he tried to explain.

"You're dating your little sister?" the woman asked, and Minato swore, the room dropped 20 degrees.

"No, No! It's just that, she gets scared easily of the dark, and she will sometimes come into my bed when I'm already asleep because she doesn't want to cause me trouble." Minato explained, hoping desperately that this misunderstanding could be cleared up. He wondered if perhaps she was in his bed because she wanted to believe that he was really there and she wasn't imagining it.

"Oh… I apologize for my assumption." The woman said, all of a sudden cheerful.

She bowed, fretly apologizing, and then closed the door after leaving some breakfast on the table which Minato assisted her with.

After she left, he heard Alu groan in her sleep. "No ..more…Ramen…full…" he wished she'd mentioned Ramen earlier. It woulda helped.

Minato sighed resigned. He cut some pancakes, and looked over at Alu, who rolled over onto the spot he'd been a few minutes ago. Wonders never cease with that girl… Minato thought sighing. She could've just been pranking him as well. Oh well, no one got hurt, so I guess I'll just have to get used to her …immaturity.

Alu slowly opened her eyes, and stretched, yawning as though she'd just come out of hibernation. "Ya~ay Pancakes!" she said happily, totally ignoring the fact that she'd been found sleeping in his bed with him; not only that, she was still in his bed.

He decided, that he'd overlook it, but just this once. "Is it too much to ask for one's own bed?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Alu, who rolled over on her back, staring at him upside down.

"How could I leave poor Mina-chan all alone? You might get scared of the dark." She snickered.

Minato shook his head. Really, this girl. It was almost like yesterday never happened. "Hey, neh~ Mina-chan. I have another nickname for you!" Alu declared. Minato did his best to show a poker face.

"Really? Is it Minato by any chance?" he asked.

"Nein. It's Sparky!" Alu exclaimed, grinning and pointing to Minato from her upside down position.

_Sparky…_the fox snorted. Lovely, it's awake. Minato groaned. _I prefer breakfast, lunch, or dinner…or snackum. _Your nicknames are not needed, Minato thought more tiredly than annoyed. At least it hadn't invaded his dreams… he couldn't even remember his dreams…

"Well… I guess I'll stick to Sparky." She said grinning at him.

"Sparky? Why?" Minato asked resigned.

She rolled over onto her stomach, "Cuz you're super fast, and have blonde hair. Duh."

"Right. How could I have missed the connection…" Minato responded shaking his head.

_Only connection I wanna make is my teeth on your- _"Hey Alu, why don't you show me around." Minato said, smiling all of a sudden. Alu looked at him curiously, and then grinned.

"Sure! But I wanna eat first. We have a big day ahead of us. And you have your next gym battle!" she got up and stretched. I wonder what he and Kyuubi are talking about, she thought grinning to herself. He doesn't know I can listen in undetected, she thought, as she saw Minato turn away from her, no doubt already fighting with the Kyuubi. She laughed to herself quietly. Minato turned to her, hearing her.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

She waved her hand at him, "It's nothing, it's nothing, just feeling happy is all." She gave him a thumbs up. He shook his head, and then sat down crosslegged at the low table with his own plate. Alu got up and sat on her knees at the table as well, reaching for her pancakes hungrily.

_Those pancakes are like your flesh._ The fox said snobbishly. Minato nearly choked, and bit his fork too hard. Eyes watering from the pain he looked away blinking back the tears. Stupid fox. He complained. _If it wasn't for this damn seal, I would- _yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. You'd rip me to shreds… Minato finished wearily. _Not just you… that girl as well. _What?... Minato asked startled. _Of course I would! It's her fucking fault I'm even stuck here! You… you may have sealed me inside yourself, but she is the one who forced me to actually need … a human's help. _Minato's hair stood up on the back of his neck. You don't need my help. I sure as hell am no longer gonna use yours. The fox's hollow laughter rang inside Minato's head like a gong. Minato looked at Alu, who was chewing her food, looking outside, while doing so. You're annoying the hell out of me. Just go away! Minato thought angrily to the fox. He felt a similar burst of energy and it was suddenly as though a barrier formed; the fox was no longer capable of talking back at him temporarily. He looked at Alu, wondering if she'd done that. She looked at him, and shook her head.

"You're willpower keeps the Yin Kyuubi in check." She explained. Minato nodded.

"When did you plan on telling me that I could even communicate, and use the chakra of the Kyuubi?" he asked.

"I wasn't. I wanted you to come to terms with the fox yourself. I know…it's a touchy matter to you. I get that… that's why… I kinda didn't know how to tell you…" she said, somewhat hesitantly.

Minato realized that she didn't want him to yell at her and his anger, although still there, was lessened. "I guess I would've had to face it sooner or later…" he said, resigning himself.

They ate in a peaceful silence. Or, at least Alu did, she didn't know what was going on in Minato's head because she wasn't listening in at the moment. She felt like she'd better store her energy for a later time when she might really need it.

Alu watched Minato and felt like he wanted to ask her something but was having trouble finding the words. "So… about today, I thought that first, we'd go and you go to the gym and then after, we'd go explore Cerulean cave. They have adorable water types in this city and near it you know. " She chatted animatedly about the gym leader and how that it was actually a gym run by a trio of sisters. "Misty, is on an adventure with some kid named Ash. So she's not here right now, originally she was the head of the gym." Alu explained, and Minato nodded, to show he was listening.

"How old are these sisters?" he asked.

"They're not as young as Forrest was, they're like…in their twenties. I think."

"So you don't know?" Minato concluded.

Alu shrugged. "I know they're older than Forrest but yeah, that's pretty much it. Their names are Daisy, Lily, and Violet. You only fight one though."

Minato set his plate on the table. He stood up, and stretched.

"I'm gonna get my clothes out of the cubby." He said, and walked over to the small shelf where his clothes were folded up neatly.

Cerulean Gym appeared incredibly interesting when Minato laid eyes on it. On the exterior, the building was a dome-shaped brightly colored Gym with a gigantic painting of a strange White seal looking creature on top of it. "That's a Dewgong." Alu exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm to get him moving. On the inside, the gym was equipped with a large aquarium and swimming pool.

A girl with pink hair, about shoulder length, and blue eyes, spotted him, and walked over. "Welcome!" she greeted them smiling.

"Hey Lily!" Alu exclaimed, grinning.

"Hey there, Alu! How are you? It's been a while hasn't it?" Lily commented, smiling.

"It has! But, today isn't a personal visit, I have here, the next challenger. Sparky Namikaze, he's here from the Katon Region. He's challenging you to a Pokémon Battle."

Lily looked at Minato who extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you." He said. Lily shook his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine." She laughed. "My other sisters are off in another town at the moment, but if you'd be fine with battling me, then I'll gladly accept your challenge." She said, smiling warmly at Minato who felt a little calmer knowing that there were normal people in this world besides himself.

They got in their places. Minato took in that he was in a water environment. It won't be easy for Bulbasaur… he thought. He heard a noise and saw small stones rise up in the water. "Whoa." He said surprised.

Lily called to him from her end. "We faced a slight problem with trainers who didn't want to use water types and so, we came up with stone lily pads. Cool huh? This'll help out the land pokémon types slightly."

That helps me out. Minato thought as he grabbed Bulbasaur's pokéball. Out flashed Bulbasaur, excited and ready to go. "Bulba~~" it exclaimed.

It landed on one of the stone lily pads. Minato waited for Lily to call out her choice. Suddenly, a water gun shot out of the water and blasted Bulbasaur backwards. Minato went, "!" and watched as a koi or goldfish, with its big orange colored design and white and black markings leapt out of the air gracefully. It also has a small to medium sized horn on its head, two big dark eyes, and pink lips with two small, sharp fangs. "Darn it! Go Bulbasaur, shake it off! Let's get back in there! Use Vinewhip!" Bulbasaur gave a little battle cry and as the odd fish shot back into the water, Bulbasaur's vines followed.

"SEAAAKIIIING!" he heard it cry, and suddenly, Lily yelled.

"Go! Use Horn drill!" Vinewhip had wrapped around the fish, but Bulbasaur cried out as it was being pulled closer to the edge. It dug its little claws into the stone, but it was no use.

"Bulbasaur! Get away!" Minato commanded. He saw Bulbasaur try, but it couldn't! No way! Minato thought in horror. Bulbasaur was dragged into the water. Seaking leapt up high into the air, and Bulbasaur went flying in the air, and as it fell, the Seaking's horn, rotated faster and faster and hit Bulbasaur head on in the stomach. Bulbasaur cried out in pain and tumbled as it hit one of the stone lily pads. It weakly tried to get to its feet.

"Bulbasaur?" Minato called out. Lily yelled, "Use SuperSonic!" Bulbasaur swiftly dodged and then, tackled the Seaking head on. It exclaimed in surprise and both splashed into the water. Bulbasaur chomped onto Seaking, and it flailed about, trying to lose the stubborn grass dinosaur.

Minato watched surprised as his small partner, seemed to be renewed with strength. It whipped out its vines once more and the Seaking cried out as it took the hit. Lily remained calm and assertive. "Use peck!" she called out. The Seaking never got the chance. Bulbasaur sent it plummeting into the water with one more vinewhip. Minato was amazed.

"Alright Bulbasaur! You know what to do!" he called out supportively. The creature determinedly lashed out once more, and the fish, after taking five hits, floated to the top. It was passed out.

Lily returned it. "Not bad Sparky! Not many trainers could take out my Seaking within the first round. That is quite the strong Bulbasaur you have there." Lily complimented.

Minato smiled. "Good job Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur smiled at him, proud of itself.

Lily exclaimed, "It's far from over! Let's go… !" suddenly there was a rumbling all around them. It was like an earthquake, and Minato instinctively knelt on one knee looking up at the ceiling. The ceiling though, showed no signs of collapsing, in fact, he realized the rumbling was coming from outside the gym!

"What's going on?" Lily exclaimed worriedly. Alu bolted for the door, and Minato, called back Bulbasaur and promptly followed suit. Lily came last, and they were greeted outside by a buzzing of people. Alu tapped a guy on the shoulder.

"Escuse me, do you know what's going on?" she asked, and the guy, wearing sunglasses and apparently dressed like a tourist turned to her.

"No, apparently though, a Seadra is angered! There are some weird people here, they claim to be… Team Bullet? Or was it-"

"Team Rocket…" Alu said under her breath. What the hell were they doing here? Especially in Cerulean? Of all the bad luck! Alu thought. She turned to Minato; he couldn't get involved with them. That wouldn't be good. She didn't know that he'd already revealed his secret to one of them.

"Alu! What should we do?" he looked at her, questioningly. She was surprised, but she merely looked at him.

"You need to finish your gym battle, I'll handle this situation!" she ordered.

"No! We fight together!" Minato said stubbornly. Alu was lost for words. She was a little happy though, but his safety was the most important thing to her.

Lily shook her head. "Oh dear! What are they doing? Poor Seadra! I must see what's wrong!" she ran through the crowd, and Alu and Minato followed. They came to the front of the crowd, and saw in a river that flowed by the city, a huge sea horse like dragon. It was angry, and its attacks were sending small tremors through the ground. Alu looked past it, and saw that its eggs were snatched from it by a giant claw by some rookie members of team rocket! Then, she saw the familiar red hair appear from the top of the Team Rocket's black Chopper.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my enemy and her little…friend." He sneered. Alu looked at Minato, who glared at him.

"Anthony." They both said. Alu looked at Minato surprised.

Minato quickly explained that he'd already met once before. Alu's heart sank. Anthony knew about Minato's ability. Crap. Anthony continued to crow like a _Rostor. _ "I'll be telling the boss about you, yes I will!~" he said, looking directly at Minato. Minato glared back, unaffected. "Don't you people know?" Anthony continued. "You may think that man is normal, but I tell you, he is a demon in disguise." The people began buzzing and looking at Minato and Anthony.

One called out, "The only demon here is YOU!"

Alu knew she had to cover for Minato and fast. "That's cool. Go distract from what you're doing. Isn't your actions more demonic? Since when did saving someone make a person a demon?" the buzzing continued and some people nodded their heads in agreement.

Anthony merely laughed. "Lying is a sin you know." He sneeered.

"Yeah? I got news for you, so's stealing!" Alu retorted.

Lily looked at Alu, panicking. "I don't have any pokémon that can save those eggs! Alu!"

"I'm on it!" Alu assured her. "Let's go… Pidge!"

Out flashed a pidgey. "Gey~Gey~" it said.

"GO! USE STEEL WING!" Alu commanded, and her Pidgey agilely neared the claw, its wings glowing. Anthony though, was just as crafty.

Anthony crowed, "Let's go, Flash!" and out flashed a peculiar all yellow zigzagged creature. "My faithful partner Jolteon, won't lose!" Anthony boasted.

"Oh no!" gasped Alu. Minato looked on, feeling completely useless. Alu said it was fine, but still… Minato looked around desperately. There had to be something he could do! Alu was battling the Jolteon, and the Seadra, upon closer inspection, was trapped in a giant electrifying net that paralyzed it. He heard some flashes around him, as some other trainers lent their support to Alu, but Anthony proved to be very strong. Even, one of the rookies, who assisted Anthony, while the other one steered the Chopper higher and higher. They're gonna get away! Minato thought panicking. Think! Think! _You're screwed. _The fox noted. Not now you damn fox! Minato yelled in his head. _What can you do? Not like you can hitch a ride on that freaky metal bird and land on the chopper. _Actually I can. Minato said surprised. Thanks! _You're not welcome. _That's fine too! That fox has a point! "You there!" Minato yelled. The trainer in charge of the Skarmory looked at him surprised. "Call your Skarmory back here!"

"Minato?" Alu gasped. She couldn't stop him, she was too preoccupied with her own battle.

Minato hitched a ride on the Skarmory and neared the Chopper that was now turning to leave, the main gate was closed and a force field shot up around it, making it so all attacks were futile. The Seadra below bellowed from anguish and anger. Minato grit his teeth, and the Skarmory bore to the right wing of the chopper. Anthony, spotted him and laughed from within the barrier. "Give it up, you fool!" he sneered. They were passing over the forest, the city becoming small. Minato knew he had to somehow make this fast!

_You can't break that force field without my help. Oh and, you're a huge idiot. _The fox pointed out annoyed. I don't need your help! Minato retorted stubbornly. He recalled the pain in which that Seadra cried out, and realized, it must've been a mother. "Those eggs…are her children…" Minato's anger bubbled up inside. "You're the real demon!" he yelled at Anthony.

"As long as I'm on top." Was his reply, and he turned, to close the pilot door. Minato leapt off of Skarmory and landed on top of the force field. He felt a jolt of pain course through his body upon impact, but he grit his teeth, bearing the pain. _You fool! The fuck are you doing!_ The fox rang in his head angrily. Shut up! he retorted. He made a fist, and tried to punch the force field, but was only shocked more. He felt himself slacken, and fall off. The Skarmory had left to return to its trainer. Minato slid off the force field and heard Anthony's laughter ringing in his ears.

He was surprised when he felt himself hovering below the force field. It was Alu and her Abra. "Minato! I thought you said, we were in this together!" Alu said, grinning. Minato was glad to see her.

"We are!" he responded, righting himself.

"Abra's using Physic Lift, to help us out." Alu said. "Alright, let's take back what's rightfully not theirs!"

"Yeah!" Minato agreed. "But how?"

"Abby! Teleport us past the force field!" Alu commanded.

Abra gave a little cry and Minato and Alu were within the force field within seconds.

Anthony had gone in, and wasn't aware that Alu and Minato had infiltrated the barrier. The eggs, were in bin under the chopper, and Alu had Abby teleport each egg out individually, into a small sack that Alu had. "Abby can't teleport things unless she's right there with them." Alu explained. After all the eggs were safely nestled in the bag, Abby teleported them back to Cerulean City.

Abra was panting and Alu hugged it. "Abby, you did great! Thanks so much!" it weakly smiled and then fainted. "It used a lot of its energy to help us. She deserves a good rest." Alu returned it, and grinned. "Well, Won't dear Anty be Antsy when he gets back to the boss with a container full of air!"

Minato grinned too. That Anthony guy really made him mad so he was glad to assist in foiling Team Rockets plans. He remembered Alu saying something earlier in her explanation about how she was a Pokémon Ranger and it was her job to stop the plans of evil organizations such as this one. "Minato, just be careful from now on. Ok?" she said.

Minato promised. _You two are both idiots. _The fox snapped. Whatever, I can live with that. Minato thought cheerfully. Alu and Minato ran back to where the Seadra was. The other trainers and Lily had managed to get the huge net deactivated and a Nurse Joy was trying to heal the injured and frantic creature. It spotted Alu, and its eggs. The trainers made a little path for Alu and Minato to walk right up to the mother , and display all six of her eggs, in front of her.

"Here you are girl, is this what you want?" Alu said, softly. The Seadra looked at the eggs longingly and tried to thrash about. "Calm down girl!" Alu said, "They're not going anywhere. See? Here they are…" she neared the nest of the Seadra, and it thrashed towards her. Alu quickly laid all the eggs in the nest and backed away as the Seadra sniffed and snuggled each egg. It crooned and instantly calmed down. After a few minutes, it allowed Nurse Joy to heal it, but it refused to budge from its eggs.

_Thank you__…_it said, looking at Alu. No prob. Alu smiled. Minato didn't know what was being said, but he figured it was talking to her. Lily ran over to them. "You two saved her eggs!... oh that's wonderful!" she clapped her hands together. "For saving Seadra's eggs, and for defeating Seaking, I will award you the Cascade badge. You've earned it. " she held the small teal teardrop shaped badge in her hand. Minato was taken aback.

"I was gonna beat you for it…" he started, but Lily held up a hand.

"That is how it normally goes, but these badges are awarded to those we feel earn them not just by winning, but by showing their devotion and care to their pokémon and those around them. You have already beaten me as well." She wouldn't take no for an answer, and pressed the badge into his hand. "Please do visit sometimes!" She said, smiling at Alu and Minato.

"Will do." Alu said grinning. "Well, you hear that? You earned your second badge!"

"Yeah…" Minato said, staring at it. He was more curious that ever, to know what exactly went on in this world. He looked at Alu, who had gone over to Nurse Joy's Chansey and was getting her Abra healed. I should get Bulbasaur healed as well. He thought. _You'll get us both killed one day with your methods of helping out. _The fox complained. Shut up. Minato growled. I told you I wasn't gonna use your chakra. _It'd make it a lot easier._ Maybe so, but I'd rather use my own strength. _Suit yourself, you stupid Homo Sapien. _ That's an insult? Minato shook his head, and felt a tug at his shoulder. Alu was grinning from ear to ear. "Hurry, get your Bulbasaur healed up, I wanna get on the road so we can get going to the next town! We need to go along route 5, go through Saffron and then take route 6, that'll get us to Vermilion City, home of your next gym battle!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down a little!" Minato said, agitatedly. "So, we're leaving now?"

"Yep." Alu said grinning. "Let's go~" and she dragged Minato off as they continued on their Pokémon Journey.


	13. Chapter 12 Sparking a new relationship!

I walked behind Alu, watching her humming happily while skipping. It was nice and relaxing, we hadn't encountered any wild pokémon as of yet, and I was enjoying not having to battle. I had recently earned my Cascade Badge, which meant I was one step closer to home; it also meant, I was one step closer to leaving this world. I thought back to when I'd first found out I was alive. It seemed like so long ago… that I was waking up, and finding out things I'd never even dreamed of could even be possible were…real. This world, its many creatures, and this hyper girl skipping around; one day, I'd leave it all. I must remember, this is only temporary. I don't belong here. I told myself this, but could not shake the feeling in my chest. It hurt. I wondered what would happen to my pokémon when I left. Probably be released or else stay with Alu… I thought.

My son… was waiting for me. I would not abandon him, not for anything, not even for Bulbasaur or Alu. After some more walking, my Charmander flashed out. "Charrr~maander!" it exclaimed happily.

"Hey there, whatcha doin?" I asked surprised. It looked at me, giving me a toothy grin.

"Keep it out; you can battle with it to prepare yourself for your next Gym battle against Lt. Surge." Alu said matter of factly.

"He uses electric types right?" I asked. I remember reading it in the Bulbabook already, but wanted to double check. She nodded.

"Remember, he's strong. And he's battling with a Raichu. It packs a lot of electricity." Alu reminded me. I let her talk, I think it gives her something to do. Charmander sniffed the air, and the flame on the tip of its tail blazed a little brighter.

"Charr!" it exclaimed. I heard rustling to my right, and there in front of us, was a small Rattata. It looked up at me, its whiskers twitching, and then uttered a small battle cry, charging at Charmander.

"Sparky! Battle it now!" Alu said happily.

"Seriously, don't call me that!" I said, annoyed. Alu merely laughed.

My Charmander's cry diverted my attention. "Go! Use Ember!" I commanded. Charmander gave a little cry and it shot embers at the Rattata which did its best to dodge.

BWOH! BWOH!

Its whiskers twitched and the attack hit it. It tried to scratch Charmander, but Charmander dodged and unleashed ember once more. It was enough. The Rattata fled. Charmander glowed with a bluish light for a second.

"It's very faint, and hard to catch, but that basically means your Charmander has just gotten stronger." Alu explained.

"Level wise?" I asked.

"Not really, more of… experience wise. I mean, it shows that it's learned enough to show it physically briefly." She said.

"Basically it's leveling up?" I pointed out.

"Yeah I guess, if you think of it as a game." Alu shrugged.

"Isn't that what life is though? A game…" I said calmly. Alu grinned at that.

We continued to walk, and I battled a few more times with some wild types. Although, I noticed if it was the small blueberry with legs type called an Oddish, the match ended faster. What amazed me was how it didn't literally catch on fire. This world truly defied the laws of … common sense.

Charmander was feeling good as well, and ran around my legs energetically. It hadn't lost a lot of its energy so it was still happy and ready to go.

"I wanna have another pokémon battle with you." Alu told me; I think she was actually pouting.

"We could have one now if you'd like." I said wearily. I felt incredibly tired, course, we'd been in the forest for a few days now… I was ready to camp out again, and it didn't look like we'd reach the city until the next day.

"I do, but not right now. I'm tired." Alu said, yawning. We reached a small clearing and Alu unpacked my tent. She didn't use a tent. She slept outside usually. I told her I'd handle it, and I set up my own tent. She lay back on the grass and when I came out of the tent, I found her already sleeping. This girl… I thought, scratching my head.

I got a blanket and I put it over her. She may have unique powers, but she was just as human as me, which meant that she'd get cold. Out popped her partner, Jet. It looked at me intensely with its reddish eyes, and then shot water gun in my face. It curled up under the blanket next to her and it too, went to sleep. I retreated to my tent moodily, grumbling. What did that pokémon have against me? I sighed as I returned Charmander. It was like a toddler, getting all of its energy out, and then just wanting to sleep.

I shook my wet hair, drying it with my blanket. So much for sleeping… I took off my shirt. I realized it was fall here, because the cold sent a shiver down my spine, on top of my wetness… I wondered if it was still October… it was back in my world, or maybe it was November already… I hadn't actually kept up with the date.

I felt incredibly tired. I closed my eyes, drifting into a tumbling sleep.

I was suddenly shaken from my sleep with another blast to my face. I sat up sputtering. "The Hell!" and came face to face with two Squirtles. The smaller one was probably mine, and it was laughing. I groaned.

That Jet was teaching it the wrong stuff. "Squirt. Squirtle~~" it laughed at me. I grumbled at it.

"ALU!" I called out annoyed. There was no answer, so I pulled myself to my feet, and stepped outside the tent into the morning glare. Alu wasn't around, but all our stuff was still there. Where in the name of Sarutobi, did she go? I thought annoyed. She should have at least left a note… I looked up to see bubbles floating all around me. I looked at them for a second and then fell backwards as all of a sudden, all of them popped and it _hurt!_ I had no idea bubbles could be deadly, it was like being stung… but with bubbles.

My Squirtle laughed. What the heck is that Jet doing? I thought ticked. I thought Jet was kinda docile, and why did it only start attacking me now and start turning my own Squirtle against me?

I knew that I was gonna have a talk with Alu. Maybe she could magically get me the ability to be able to speak to pokémon as well. I shook my dripping hair out of my face. My Bulbasaur flashed out of its pokéball and it scolded the little Squirtle. Jet talked to Bulbasaur and I had no idea what those two were saying, but I got the feeling that Bulbasaur was telling Jet to bug off and also don't mislead Squirtle and Jet was basically being stubborn.

"HE~Y~YO~OO!" I heard a familiar annoying voice call out from my right. Alu was waving as she entered the clearing with a small basket full of mega sized blueberries. My stomach growled and I patted it. Jet went over to her and looked all innocent, and my Squirtle eagerly followed Bulbasaur. I scratched my head. Apparently Squirtle liked to play follow the leader. I eyed the berries.

"Alu… those are some …big berries…" I commented. She laughed.

"These are Oran Berries, very tasty and they can also restore some of your pokémon's health points." She explained to me. "By the way, when did it rain? It looks like you got caught in a downpour."

"You can thank Jet here." I said annoyed again. She patted Jet, giggling. "That means Jet likes you~"

I wasn't so sure. I wanted to change the subject. I'd come back to it later. "I need some of my health points restored too." I said, jokingly. She giggled. We heard a rustling to our right. I went instantly alert. I stood up, unconsciously tense, and felt a hand on my arm. Alu was standing next to me, and she held up her finger to her lips. I relaxed. It was probably just some pokémon. She got her plate and cut up some pieces of an Oran Berry, and then she quietly beckoned to Jet. Jet nodded and walked over on all fours to the small bushes, and poked its head between them. All of a sudden there was a scared, "PIIIIIII!" and a giant blast of electricity blasted Jet backwards. A part of me was rooting for whoever did that. What pokémon goes Piii? I wondered. It sounded familiar… and that was when the little diamond eared electric type, wandered onto our campsite. I gasped.

"It's that little Pichu!" I exclaimed surprised. Alu looked at it.

"Yeah, it's the same one I was trying to rescue when I got hit with sleep powder." She said. I looked at her.

"I guess even with special abilities winning still isn't easy huh?"

She stuck her tongue out at me, clearly misreading what I meant. "I coulda owned that guy. I just decided to help his ego by letting him think he was winning. I had it all planned when you interfered." She said.

I rolled my eyes. "Hey! I saved you because your plan wasn't working!"

"Anything to boost your ego~" she sang.

I felt like punching through a tree trunk. I saw her smiling though and my temporary anger evaporated. Damn, she was just yanking my chain. I thought sighing resignedly. Jet looked pissed and it squared off to the little creature. "Squirt! Squirtle!" it exclaimed, unleashing a powerful torrent of water. The little Pichu retaliated with a small bolt of electricity.

"That's thundershock. The weakest of the basic electric attacks." Alu told me. I looked at her with incredulousidy.

"Jet's a water type! He'll get beaten won't he?" I asked confused.

"Normally, but my Squirt, is trained by me~! Don't you forget!~" she sang again.

I groaned. I was starting to get the hang of the various types and yet… I scratched my head. I saw Jet nimbly dodge the weak electric advances and unleash another water gun on the Pichu. That's when I noticed something wrong. "Jet! WAIT!" I yelled but the little turtle already unleashed its attack. The Pichu got scared and blasted both itself and Jet with a very big spark.

"That attack is spark." Alu said matter-of-factly and I looked at her with a look of sheer amazement. Why she was so calm about this was beyond me.

"Jet!" I yelled. "Leave Pichu alone! Can't you see its hurt!"

Alu touched my arm gently. "Minato, that's just the side effect of Pichu's. When they unleash an electric attack it affects themselves as well."

"Shouldn't we be helping it? Not scaring it!" I shouted angrily.

She patted my arm. "I'll leave that to you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Your Jet is hurting it! Tell him to back off!" I pointed at Jet who was unleashing another water gun.

She sighed, and called out, "Yo~ Jet, that's enough. Come back." Jet ignored her.

"Jet! Seriously!" she shouted, a little annoyed. "Jet!"

The Squirtle unleashed another water gun, but this time the Pichu unleashed spark again. Jet fell back, paralyzed. Alu returned Jet to his pokéball. "That's strange, I guess Jet was really annoyed. My Jet is stubborn, so it even took me a while to become good friends with it."

"Right." I said, not caring much for Jet. The little Pichu was panting, and I grabbed the cut up pieces of Oran Berry, and slowly neared it. It looked up wide eyed, tense, but I knelt a few feet from it, placing the food down, and then slowly backed away. It looked from me to the food, then back. Then, it slowly inched its way towards the food. Suddenly, a rubber robotic hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed it!

"The HELL!" I yelled. I heard obnoxious laughter, and a woman probably in her thirties, with pink long, strange hair, was standing next to a guy with blue hair. Between them was cat like creature with a coin on its forehead.

They recited some weird Team Rocket logo thing, and all I could think was, how old were these guys? "Jesse," said the woman.

"And James." Said the guy, flourishing a rose which apparently came out of nowhere.

"Meowth, that's right!" said the cat. I gaped.

"IT TALKS!" I exclaimed. I looked at Alu and she just shrugged.

"Fill ya in later, right now, let's battle!" she told me. I nodded.

One problem… all my pokémon… were weak… at least I figured it was like last time… with that guy.

"We'll be taking that rare pokémon to the boss if you don't mind~ " Jesse said snobbishly.

"Piiichh~uuuuu!" it unleashed a small electric attack, but the cage negated it.

The weird cat laughed. "See? That there cage is Pi-proof."

Alu laughed. "Alright!~ go!... JET~" and out flashed Jet. "Go! Use Rapid spin and add some hydro power!" her Jet rapidly spun, spraying water, and the weird robot that resembled a Pichu shook a little.

"Oh, No you don't~" said James. "We have a twerp-zapper right here!" he pressed a button on a small device he was holding and an electric attack formed between the Robo-chu's ears, and zapped Jet backwards. Jet fainted.

"Jet!" Alu exclaimed. She returned it. _You guys really suck ass. _Shut up stupid fox, I said angrily. _You know, with that hunk of electrically charged scrap metal, you have no possible way of winning…unless of course~…_No. I told it. Not again. I attracted enough attention last time. _Ya, you also won._ Not worth the attention. I retorted.

"Alu! What other types do you have?" I asked her urgently.

She scratched her head sheepishly. "I uh…have…only Jet…." I stared at her.

"Serious?..." I said, my voice slightly shaking.

"Well…I didn't think we'd run into these three idiots so soon." She told me. I stared at her.

"You mean to say…. That you DID expect them?"

"Ya, just not so soon…" she said sheepishly.

"Alu! You have to be prepared for anything!" I scolded her angrily. With her Jet out, we couldn't save that Pichu. They were already leaving with the Pichu, which had knocked itself out with its own attempts at escape. My Charmander flashed out.

"CHARR~~MANDER~~!" it exclaimed, and took on a battle pose. I stared at it. It gave me a look of confidence.

"Minato, remember, don't judge base on experience only. Why not… try based on faith?" Alu advised. I didn't feel like listening to her warm heart felt life lesson game plan, but if Charmander wanted to fight… then I may have a chance.

"Alu, you clean up here and catch up ok? Alright Charmander! Let's go!" I yelled and ran after the retreating robot.

"Mina-chan! Wait!" I heard Alu call but I ignored her.

We followed the robot, which wasn't that hard since it was very … out of place. They neared a tall reddish looking mountain. What are they doing? I thought. My Charmander was doing its best to keep up with me.

I remembered this place from reading about it in the Bulbabook. It was the Rock Tunnel and Power Plant. It would lead me to Lavender town after I exited and followed the route. That wasn't what I was gonna do though. I had to think. I had no chakra. A little experienced pokémon, and a gigantic electric shooting robot to deal with. So much for this world being less dangerous, I thought groaning. I had to save that Pichu! Sure, I was still pissed that it zapped me after I'd helped it back on Mt. Moon, but… it was still a creature, and it was wrong to mistreat it like it was…a toy or an item. "Charmander! Hop on!" I said, and Charmander hopped onto my back, clinging. I took a great spurt of energy, and leaped, landing on the tail of the robot. I clung for dear life. I lost my grip and fell off. "AHH!" I yelled. I hugged Charmander close, and braised my shoulder. The wind got knocked out of me, and I choked. Coughing, I stubbornly stumbled to my feet again, panting. Damn. I wiped my bleeding lip with one hand, holding Charmander in my cut right. I just had a few scrapes and cuts, but that was nothing compared to what those two idiots were gonna get. If I thought of the cat as being related to Nine tails, it made it easier when I was gonna kill it. I was very ticked. I knew that I couldn't really kill anyone, but I wasn't going to let them go scot-free either. _If you used my power, you could easily cling to that tail~_ the fox said, smugly. Ha. Right. No. I'm going to win… with my own strength! I stubbornly declined. I heard the fox laugh sneering in my head. _The only thing that made you great was the fact that you had chakra. Without chakra. You're no hero!~ You're just as weak and stupid as the rest of your race! If you didn't have chakra when you beat me, tell me then? What did you plan to do to beat me? Hit me with a few pebbles? Maybe a stick? _I ignored the fox's snooty comments and started running again with Charmander. I refused to let the fox help. Its help only got me in trouble last time. I wouldn't be surprised if all of Team Rocket now came after me to dissect me. Not that Alu would let that happen… but I understood why she sealed my chakra in the first place. Speaking of which… she still needed to tell me why mine and not the fox's also. _She wants us to be…closer._ The fox said this with dripping contempt. I agreed with it. Fat chance. The robot was speeding up and getting farther away. It was getting closer to the cave opening. Oh cripes! How am I supposed to find it now? I thought desperately. Why didn't Alu just poof or whatever? Damn! I thought, getting majorly pissed. My anger fueled my speed and we were within arm's length. My Charmander suddenly jumped off, and unleashed ember on the tail. I watched amazed as the tip of the tail … melted. It wasn't steel…it was some sort of cheaper more easily meltable metal! I saw the skeleton of the tail and grinned. With Charmander on my back, I leapt and managed to this time hold my grasp. HaH! Toldja I didn't need your stinking help! I crowed. _That's great. I'm so happy for you. _The fox said bored. _Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll shock you~ _ Like I'd let that happen! I thought, grinning. My anger had turned into excitement at my good luck. I was pumped. I hadn't been on a mission this exciting since… well the last exciting thing that happened was my being initiated as the Fourth Hokage three months ago. The robot stopped, and I saw Jesse, James and Meowth appear at the top. "It's a big twerp!" exclaimed Jesse.

"Go! Weazing!" called out James.

"Go! Ekans~" called out Jesse.

A giant snake and a weird two headed thing… appeared. It looked like a crater… that thing is a pokémon? I thought, gaping at its weirdness.

"Go Ekans~ use Poison sting!~"

"Go Weazing~ use Sludge!" called out James. "Gah!" he called out a second later as his Weazing bit the top of his head. "Not ME! ON them!"

I grit my teeth. My Charmander gave a small battle cry and unleashed ember on Ekans and Sleazing. They both fell back. Maybe they're weaker than I thought… I thought. The attacks never hit us, and my Bulbasaur and Squirtle came out. "All of you…" Alu's words echoed. I smiled.

"Alright gang! Let's go! Squirtle use bubble! Bulbasaur, Vine whip and Charmander…Ember!" my team assembled and I couldn't help but think about how they were like my own team… Kakashi was like Charmander, fiery, trying his best, and Obito would've been like Squirtle, having fun, getting scared easily, but rising to the occasion. And Rin, she would be like Bulbasaur… keeping the peace between the fire and the water types. We worked together and the machine exploded.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" I heard them cry as they became a small star in the distance. The cage with Pichu fell and I ran forwards, but I saw a blur in front of me and then saw Alu catch the cage herself.

"What! ALU!" I yelled.

"The Hero, always arrives late~" she said grinning.

I sighed resignedly. "Right… and did you just use a teleportation jutsu?"

"Yep~!" she said grinning. "And I'm not even a Ninja~"

"Then what are you." I asked disgruntled.

"I'm just a girl~ living in a small world~" she began to sing.

"ON second thought, I'm good." I cut her off.

"I'm seriously not a ninja…but I wanna be one. I don't have chakra so I can't use jutsu." She said, shrugging. "I just teleported using one of your cool seal thingies." She held up my seal that I used to move at a god-like speed and I stared.

"Alu… you need chakra…for that…." Not to even begin on the whole problem how she even had those in the first place.

"They were in your cool Ninja tool kit. So I kinda sorta..borrowed them." she said happily.

"You still need chakra…" I said disgruntled.

"Not really, I kinda moved it around a bit, so I could put my natural energy to it." she said.

"Natural energy?" I asked wearily. I decided not to bother asking about how she could take my S rank jutsu seal and "Move it around a bit".

"MMhhhm!" she said, grinning. "Ah, first though, let's help Pichu." The little Pichu slowly came to, and it spotted me first. It stared at me, tilted its head, and then turned its back on me. *pouting pichu kawaii~

*angry Mina-chan chibi insert

"Why that ungrateful little…" I grumbled.

Alu laughed. "It seems to like you."

"Like me? It hates me." I grumbled.

She laughed again, and so did all my pokémon. Pichu looked at me again, and tilted its head. It was still hurt badly. "Mina-chan, why don't you… catch it?" she asked.

"Catch it?... but it wasn't a fair fight." I said.

"Well, why not ask it yourself. I think it wants to go with us on adventures, but it wants you to be its trainer." Alu said.

"You got …all that from this encounter?" I asked surprised.

"Nah, I'm just guessing. It'd be cool to have a Pichu on the team." She said grinning.

I sighed. *deflated tired chibi

"Well… I might as well…" I walked over to the little creature. "Hey… um… Pichu… you want to-"

"Pi." It turned its head away from me snobbishly. I could hear the fox laughing at me. *anger mark anger mark throbbing

"I just want to know you bet-"

"Pi."

"Come now… you're hurt….surely you want-"

"Pi. Chu. Pi. Chu." It said.

I looked at Alu desperately. "What is it saying?"

"It says **** off."

I stared at her. "You're joking…."

She looked at me sheepishly. "Uh…wish I was… this Pichu… I think that it has issues with trusting trainers…"

"Pichu… not all trainers are like that…" I said gently. It looked at me, and noticed it had big defiant brown eyes. They were full of energy and spark, and realized, it was more like me than Bulbasaur. I had a problem with trusting right away in this world… and I tried to fight it at first… This Pichu…it was alone. I wasn't. It looked at me annoyed. I couldn't help but smile.

"Pichu…you're not alone." I said gently. It looked at me, its small eyes widening. "I want to protect you. Please, won't you …try to trust my words?" I smiled at it, warmly. It looked away as though puzzling over something and then its end of its tail lit up with a white light and it smashed through the bars of the cage. I fell backwards, surprised, panicking thinking it was going to shock me again.

It didn't. It merely gazed at me, with a new found interest. I extended an arm to it. It smiled back at me, and then shocked me.

"ARRGH!" I yelled surprised. I fell backwards on my butt, and heard it laughing along with the Kyuubi. The Pokéball had rolled out of my hands, and over by its feet. Still laughing the Pichu got zapped into the ball. I watched as it rolled three times and then stopped. I had caught the annoying Pichu.

Alu clapped. "You know what they say, all relationships start with a spark~"

I groaned. Pichu zapped itself out of its ball. "Pichu!" it said, laughing at me. I think…I caught myself a hellish Pichu… I thought with my heart sinking.


	14. Chapter 13 You snoozeyou looze

Alu grinned, walking next to Minato. Minato was sighing resignedly and Alu laughed. "Aw come on! Cheer up. You know Pichus are very rare."

"I don't care that it's rare… I only care that I need to find a rubber collar for it." Minato grumbled.

Alu grinned. "I'm just so proud of you.~"

Minato looked at her wearily. "Proud?"

"Yup. You managed to beat Team Rocket with your team~I didn't even need to show up." she said happily.

Minato sighed again.

Alu laughed.

They walked in silence for a bit and finally came to a rectangular building which Alu explained was a gatekeeper structure leading into Saffron city.

Minato realized something. "Hey Alu, my next gym battle is technically against Lt. Surge of Vermilion City, so how come we're going to Saffron? If I recall correctly, that is where Sabrina is, and she's the sixth gym leader… I'm only on the third."

Alu waved her hand lazily in the air and shrugged.

Minato waited for her to answer but they had already entered into the building.

The guard blocked them before they could exit.

Minato looked at the guard annoyed and surprised. "What's the problem?"

The guard bowed apologetically, "I am very sorry, but this pass is off limits at the current moment. Please try a different route."

Minato looked at Alu expectantly, but she only shrugged at him and turned around. He ran after her outside.

"Alu, what was up with that? Why can't we go through?" he asked impatiently.

Alu grinned. "Because fate has different plans I suppose."

Minato groaned.

He followed her resignedly and they came to a small town eventually. This must be Lavender town, Minato thought, looking around. "Alright, I sense that we were called here for a good reason." Alu was saying in a matter of fact tone which Minato decided not to respond to. Instead he decided to just walk around since there was no actual gym in the village. This greatly hinders me, he thought dissapointedly. What do you have, a son complex or something? The fox sneered annoyed. Kyuubi, shut up. Minato thought heatedly. I have to win no matter what, that way I can return soon as possible. Hmm… Suppose, but why can't you make her take you back? Minato stopped walking for a second caught off guard. W-what? Using force may be your thing, but I refuse to hurt anyone! Minato shot back, regaining his composure. Alu had gone off somewhere and Minato realized she must be giving him a bit of a free venture. I let my guard down, but I know what to do now, Minato thought strongly and the fox was once again shut off from his own thoughts. Minato sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to return, more than anything… He felt a little upset that his whole life was being controlled by Alu at the moment but then he remembered back to the time on Mt. Moon. Alu had been genuinely crying because of the hurtful things he had said… She had saved his life, and he had only repayed her with insults. His hands tightened into fists at his side; he decided he'd definitely do the right thing and not hurt her anymore. He did not want to get back by using hate as his motto; he wanted to get back with a friend by his side. Even though she was light years younger than him; I wonder what people think of us together, he thought randomly. I do not want a replay like at that Inn back in Cerulean, he thought grimacing.

He sensed a commotion and looked up from the ground, realizing there was a buzz in the air.

A few kids ran past him and he called out, "E-escuse me, er… what is going on?" The kids laughed and one of them excitedly said, "There is a giant sleeping pokémon on route 10 leading to the rock tunnel! We're gonna go try to catch it! We heard it's a rare species!" Minato stared after them as they ran off. He recalled that kids at that age were budding trainers. He followed pursuit. Upon entering the route entrance there was a small crowd already assembled and Minato pushed his way through with polite speech and came to the front of the crowd. This pokémon must be quite something, and it's rare on top of that! What could such a pokémon look ….like…. Minato thought as he saw the biggest, most flabby pokémon in his life. It resembled what was supposed to be a….bear? it had a cream colored belly and paws and was also greenish blue. It had small closed eyes and it was so big. Minato stared at it. This is….the great rare species? It looks completely useless and lax. "That's the Snorlax!" someone exclaimed. Minato face palmed, what a fitting name, he thought shaking his head.

He saw some of the kids getting ready to battle it. The crowd was cheering the young trainers on; none of them noticed that the Snorlax was injured. Minato realized it was out of the corner of his eye because it was breathing more strained. He made a step forward and was about to call out when all of a sudden he saw Alu put her hands out protectively in front of the sleeping pokémon. "Sorry but, there will be no trainer battles at the current moment. This Snorlax is injured." The kids groaned at her.

"We were totally pumped up though!"

"Come on! Move it lady! We wanna catch it!"

"Yeah, we'll heal it after it's caught, doesn't this make the job easier?"

Minato heard all of these words and looked at the kids in amazement. They only cared about adding to their pokédex… but Alu on the other hand was caring about the creature not as a specimen, but as a living thing. He remembered her saying something about being a pokémon ranger and sure enough, she showed her badge. " Unit 7. I am rank 005, and I command that you all leave this injured Snorlax to me, once it is healed then you may battle to catch it. Until then, no one harms it, or you answer to me." She said serious. Minato looked at her and was amazed. She was always so carefree, seeing her so adult like and authoritative… it was a little strange; he smiled to himself.

The kids groaned annoyed but they dispersed along with the adults. Minato put his hands in his pockets and walked over to Alu as she was patting the Snorlax soothingly. "Is this the fate you were talking about?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Alu sighed and then she stood up. She turned to face Minato and then she grinned hugely.

"There you are Mina-chan! I was getting worried, you really shouldn't wander off on me like that!" Minato looked at her taken aback by her usual attitude.

"You're the one who left me remember?" he retorted. Alu only grinned and then she began to rummage in her pack.

"I'm gonna be staying with this Snorlax until its burn heals fully." She took out a strange spray bottle as she spoke, and walked around the snorlax which was hard to do because it was so big and the road was small. He heard a spraying noise and figured it was some sort of medicine…a Burn Heal perhaps? "Wow, that was good guess Mina-chan. It is in fact a burn heal." Alu said happily. She squeezed back over to his side.

"Please stop calling me Mina-chan." Minato said tiredly.

"Ok…Sparky." She said winking. Minato groaned.

The snorlax made a deep rumbling of gratitude and Minato watched with undivided interest as Alu packed up. "There is a small lodging in the town you can rent out. This town hasn't had much business in a while so it should be fine." Alu was saying.

"Eh? Not much business? Why's that?" Minato asked.

"Well, I don't the details, but there is a rumor that in that old lavender tower, a ghost lurks, a ghost of a pokémon who died in a fire. That creature is said to haunt the tower because it is waiting to exact its revenge… or it could be waiting for something. Who knows? I haven't figured out how to end it yet. " Alu said grinning at Minato. Minato groaned.

"You mean you made that up?" he thought, weakly sinking to his knees in resignation.

Damn, she knows how to get a guy… He thought sighing. Alu giggled. But her face became serious again.

"Did I?"

Minato looked at her trying to figure her out. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you are making it up. There are no such things as ghosts."

"You were one." Alu pointed out.

"That's different! I mean…ghosts can't be seen! Normally…" Minato argued.

"Normally..correct…but there are some instances…."

Minato clamped his hands over his ears, "I can't hear you, lalallalalalallaa!"

Alu laughed.

Minato got up. "I'm heading in to look around town a bit more, probably do some training with the gang as well. The sooner we finish here, the sooner I can get to my village." Alu stared after him as he walked off. She had smiled and waved at him but now that his back was turned, a sad light shined in her eyes once again. She shook her head, and turned back to the Snorlax.

It was evening and Alu had been relaxing when all of a sudden a string shot came out of nowhere and spun her up. She couldn't call for help, her mouth had been covered by the attack as well. She struggled. She wondered if it was those kids, but some annoying laughter proved otherwise. Two team rocket grunts stepped out from the dark and so did their pokémon. "Oh?" The woman on the right said surprised. "We heard there was a poke ranger in town but who would've thought it was just a kid. No matter, it'll be easier to dispose of you this way." Alu couldn't call out her partner or her others; the woman had a Beautifly which could truss them up fast. The Beatifly looked mostly normal, but something was wrong with it…. Alu noticed its eyes were red. ! she thought. She struggled but her energy was still very low. She had to try though! She didn't call for help from Minato; no this was her fight. She had no reason to depend on him. She hurriedly tried to run but her legs were tied up as well and she fell; hard. The Snorlax was still in a deep sleep recovering. Alu didn't know who these two were, they didn't strike her as familiar. The woman had blue short hair and a pair of cold blue eyes where-as her accomplice had brown eyes and dark brown hair. He had an Umbreon and she noticed something strange; its eyes were a darker red that normal. What was wrong with them? Some sort of mind control? Alu thought shocked.

"We'll just be taking this here Snorlax and we can't have any witnesses to tattle on us can we?" the woman said as though she was purring. Out flashed her Persian who hissed at Alu Alu's heart beat faster. I have to win… I can do this…I can….! Alu thought and then she grinned at her captors.

"Not on my watch, you don't!" came a confident voice from the trees.

The two looked up in surprise. There was Minato with his arms folded. "Sorry, but, you'll be leaving here empty handed, but not scott-free." He said, staring at the two. The man yelled at his Umbreon, "Use Shadow ball!" Minato dodged the shadow ball attacks and avoided the string attacks that followed. He was still faster than an average human; even with his chakra sealed and he made this known as he knocked out the bad guy. The woman glared at him, and her Persian and Beutifly and the Umbreon lunged at Minato. Minato was prepared and all of a sudden a sleep powder filled the area. Minato pulled Alu out and he and her watched as the woman fell asleep along with the pokémon.

"Thanks," Alu said.

"Well Snorlax is safe thanks to Bulbasaur's sleep powder." Minato said, freeing Alu from the now slackened string shot.

"Yeah, that was smart, waiting for just the right moment, and all that. Cool thinking." Alu said.

"Well, it was only because you told me earlier that you felt uneasy about those two bystanders in that crowd from earlier. Good thing you decided to investigate huh?"

Minato said shrugging.

"Yep, two is better than one!" Alu said happily, petting Bulbasaur praisingly.

"I'll tie up these two, let authority take it from here." Minato said and he did as he said while Alu meanwhile tried to figure out what was wrong with the pokémon. The Umbreon was the first to come to, and it looked at her confused. It was no longer under any sort of control and Minato found some sort of device in each of the Rocket Grunts' pockets. "No way, it's a mind control device….it must somehow affect their brainwaves," Alu said before Minato could make a theory. He looked at her. "You sound like you've heard of it before." Alu nodded at him. "Sadly, in this world….there are people who only seek to exploit the powers of the pokémon, seeing them merely as tools and even….monsters." Minato couldn't meet her eyes when she said that. She wasn't going to get him to categorize Kyuubi with them that easily; It would take a helluva lot more than that to even just consider the fact that Kyuubi wasn't a mad deranged killer.

Alu tapped his forehead. "Relax, I don't care if you don't see things my way. I'm only saying that creatures of any sort of phenomenal ability will always be used whether for justice…or for evil. In the end…we humans still control the fate of these creatures…."

Minato looked at the Snorlax and tried to figure out where such a lazy weird pokémon fit in.

"Anyways, let's get them to a Pokémon Center Pronto. We'll depart tomorrow morning. Like you say, the rest is out of my hands." Alu said as she called out Abby. She nodded and Abby teleported them all to the Pokémon Center where the story was explained.

The next morning Minato woke up earlier than Alu. He rubbed his eyes and felt the cool breeze on his face. He had camped out with her to keep the Snorlax safe, and no further harm had come to it. He stretched and looked around. Suddenly he realized something. The Snorlax was gone. His jaw dropped. It had seemed so big, he had no idea how fast that thing could actually go. "Alu…" He said, and Alu rolled over, "Mhhmm?"

"The Snorlax is gone." He stated.

Alu opened one eye and then stretched. She sat up. She looked around groggily. "So it would appear…" she said. "Is that all?" she asked.

Minato looked at her stumped. "Uh…what if it was taken!"

"It wasn't, it left in the middle of the night fully healed." Alu mumbled and she went back to sleep. Minato stared at her. Really…. He thought to himself, I went to all that trouble and it's not even here anymore. He sighed. He closed his eyes…. And then he opened them quick again. He shook Alu.

Alu got up finally grumbling.

Minato: "Alu….what about that Lavender tower?"

"Eh? What about the haunted tower?" Alu asked.

"It's not haunted! I just mean, I heard in town yesterday while taking a break that there was supposedly this... item that had a strange sort of energy." Alu looked at him curious.

"Since the Saffron Route is open on this end, we can go through Saffron now and get down to Vermilion city, why do you want to bother with some rumor?" she asked bored.

Minato had expected her to jump on the idea and was surprised at her disinterest in the matter. He folded his arms thinking, true, my desire to get back to home is greater than this but…. But….I feel…curious all the same… I shouldn't….but... I may never return to this place after I leave…

"That's the spirit!" Alu said, thumping Minato hard on the back cheerfully.

"Off we go then! To the Haunted Tower!" She marched off all packed up already and

Minato groaned. "Stop saying that! That isn't its name."

"Ok, the Haunted Lavender Tower!~" Alu fixed and she marched on with Minato trailing behind, wondering if she had changed her mind due to his thoughts. I change my mind, I'm going. He thought and he turned to go. He got a few feet but realized she was not going to follow and groaned again. She really is….controlling my life. He trudged after her, hoping that she wouldn't pull a prank on him; most of all, he was hoping the Lavender Tower was not haunted.


	15. Chapter 14 Lavender Haunted Tower

We entered the tower and I did my best to stop my knees from shaking. I kept telling myself, there was no such things as vengeful spirits; then I turned and yelled falling on my butt in surprise. Alu was laughing to my right as a strange purple pokémon floated in front of me. Its head was round and dark, and it looked like the attack shadow ball except it had small narrowed eyes and fangs. It also, looked like a "G-ghost!" I exclaimed. Alu wiped a tear from her face; apparently my utter fear was her source of jubilance.

"Ghast? Ghastly?" It said in a hoarse tone. I turned and ran for the stairs as fast as I could. Alu called out to me, "Hold on Mina-chan! It's ok! It's just….it's just….a…." she started laughing again and I turned around slowly. After my fear had calmed down a bit and I looked more closely, I realized it was not dead… at least I hoped it wasn't. Since Alu seemed perfectly fine with dead things I wasn't sure if I could believe her word or not. I pulled out Dexter just to be sure and I scanned the creature. It was only a ghost type pokémon, but it wasn't an actual ghost if that made any sense at all which to me it didn't really but I was too tired to care about logic; the whole planet defied logic so I figured it would be useless trying to apply any now. I wondered how many wrinkles I'd have by the time I returned, maybe I'd look older than the third hokage…. I tried not to think about that.

The third Hokage…I tried not to think about the village at the moment. It hurt too much still, even though I knew I'd be going back soon… but still…six years…it was a long time…and it would be doubled over in my world… making it twelve. Twelve whole years…. I'd miss out on Naruto growing up… I knew the sacrifice I had made… at least at this time I'd get to see him but then….there was Kushina…. I had still been dreaming about her…but they had been just memories… just memories that I couldn't forget nor wanted to.

Alu whistled to me, jerking me back to the real world…her world anyways. "What?" I asked distantly. The ghastly in my face reminded me right away what. GYAAAAA I thought (0_0) and I fell on my butt again. Go figure, I groaned. Alu laughed. I swear she had it all planned. I grumbled to myself as I got up and dusted myself off. Alu was already heading up the steps so I followed suit. Surprisingly, no one else was in the tower. I looked around and noticed there were only tombs of the dead. Small gravestones. I shuddered; I should've been like that, dead. I tried hard not to dwell on it.

"Hey, neh~ Mina-chan! Look at this!" Alu called to me. I looked up and saw her waving to me over by some gravestones on the way up to the next floor.

"What?" I asked. I walked over ignoring the ghastly that followed me. I think there was more than one now but I did my best to ignore them. I tried imaging them as butterflies but that didn't work out too well. I focused my attention on a strange tablet that was different from the other grave markers. "This…It is written in strange….picture hieroglyphics I think…" I theorized. Alu nodded.

"It's written in the language of the legendaries, the Unknown. They are all shaped like the letters of the alphabet." She told me, I looked closely, and as I analyzed I realized I could read it. I reached out my hand to dust it off, it seemed like no one had cleaned it in a while.

While I dusted it off to read it better, Alu stood next to me with her arms crossed and asked, "So, while you're doing this, you wanna hear that ghost story?"

"Not really. No." I said bluntly. I had enough ghosts to last me a lifetime.

"Well, since you insist~" she said, ignoring me. "Once there was a small sanctuary where this very tower stands today, and it was abundant with pokémon to be taken care of for their trainers. Now, one day Team Rocket set fire to the small sanctuary and all the pokémon died… there wasn't one survivor… of course another building was put here later but TR burnt that one down too… and finally a shrine to the spirits were put here instead… and … shortly after Team Rocket was supposedly beaten by some kid every generation and have not set foot in lavender town itself because of fear of the ghosts that inhabit this tower."

Despite it being stupid to me, I couldn't help but feel like Alu wasn't totally just telling a ghost tale…it sounded more like a real story. All of those creatures….dead….ghosts….unable to escape their fate…like me…except…

Speaking of ghosts, I turned to her suddenly.

"Wait….you said you talked to shinigami? About me?" I saw Alu quickly avert her eyes for a second, but then stare at mine directly.

"I did." Was all she said. I watched her, trying to figure out more but decided if she wanted to keep it from me, I had no choice but to wait until she wanted to talk. I was burning to know though and I opened my mouth to ask how when she put her hand up.

"Yo~ we don't have all day, let's get this show on the road! Plus, I don't want to be around when that ghost gets hungry." She said happily.

I decided to let her have her fun, I wasn't exactly scared anymore; still creeped out by ghosts but after facing the ninetails….nothing could seriously scare me.

"Who was the one who fell on his butt and screamed like a little girl?" Alu joked. I ignored her. I finished dusting off the tablet and I proceeded to read the message. "The home of the departed souls rest here, this tower is tribute to those who died in the fire caused by Team Rocket. Another secret lies within the secret gate of Passage. Protected by a vengeful…." I hadn't realized it but Alu had been reading right along with me. I stopped but she kept going.

"…ghost who lost her child guards the hidden treasure. Oh and Mina-chan look!" Alu pointed to the sign next to the tablet. "It says do not enter Lavender Tower past this point if you don't want bad luck upon you. That's original. Not!" she said brightly. I looked around though. It had been incredibly quiet since were the only ones actually in the tower…well not including the ghastly.. "Alu, if this is trespassing on sacred ground…. I don't want to dishonor the rested." I said.

"Eh…but you're the one who wanted to find that thingy ma jigger." Alu said.

"Yeah, It sounded interesting at the time, but it was probably just rumors, there is no way anything like that could actually exsist. I don't want to get sidetracked. Let's just go ok?" I said as I headed for the exit. Alu sighed. She slowly turned to me, but then she grinned.

"All the more reason to go right?" she exclaimed and she turned and sprinted up the third flight of stairs. I spluttered for her to stop and ran after her unexpectedly.

"Alu! Come on! Seriously!" I said, I was impatient and annoyed. She laughed and kept going up to the fourth floor. The stairs had gotten longer, and more rickety the higher up we went. On the 5th floor we both stopped to catch our breath. I regained mine faster and grabbed Alu by the scruff of her jacket.

"We're leaving. Now." I stated and attempted to drag her back down. Suddenly I heard a rustling to my right. Alu and I stopped and looked at each other. "Alu, stop it, this isn't funny."

"Um….Mina-chan…" Alu gulped. "That…w-wasn't me…" she said. I knew she wasn't lying; she was trembling.

I found it ironic how she was scared of ghosts when I had been one.

"Like you said..that was different.,.." she said, her voice wavering. A small ghostly moan echoed in the room and I instinctively shielded Alu. I think this surprised the both of us because a split second later we were on opposite sides of the room looking at each other like we had both crawled out from under two different rocks or something.

Alu coughed and stood up. "Well… um… I say we should leave now, yeah?"

I nodded in agreement. She didn't have to tell me twice. Suddenly a barrier blocked the exit to the stairs below. The only way….

"Up…" Alu whispered. She backed into a corner and curled up into a ball. I couldn't believe it. She was seriously scared. I was too but ….she was seriously scared.

"You don't have to keep repeating it…" she groaned.

"Alu….are you scared…of ghosts?" I asked incredulously.

"….mimble wimble…" she mumbled. I looked at her, she was always talking so animatedly like nothing could scare her really…so the fact that she was scared… I took a step towards her, I didn't know what I could do…but I didn't want her to feel like she was alone in this although a split second later out flashed Jet her annoying turtle. Oh great, I thought. Jet glared at me and then rubbed its head protectively under Alu's hand. Oh that's right…she has Jet..and her pokémon… I thought. My own Bulbasaur flashed out with Squirtle and Charmander. Pichu was the only one who stayed in its ball which was totally fine by me. I knelt in front of Alu and extended my hand to her. Jet eyed me but didn't shoot water gun in my face which I was grateful for.

"Alu," I said gently, "It's going to be ok. We'll just sort things out with that ghost ok? Maybe we can help it find peace or something." I didn't get what I was saying myself, I just wanted to help Alu out who despite being annoying and loud mouthed… was human (I think) I heard her snort at that but saw a smile playing on her lips, even though she was still trembling. Gyoooooooo-oooo-ooo the wailing continued from above us, one floor.

Alu took a deep breath, and took my hand. I helped her up and we looked in the direction of the ghostly wailing. "You ready Alu?" I asked unwavering. Alu nodded. Our pokémon to help us out, we embarked up the steps not knowing what awaited us at the top floor. At that time… we really had no idea what was going to happen.


	16. Chapter 15 The power of Hatred!

When they both entered, their breath was held. Alu looked around and realized no one was there. Minato sighed with relief. He felt a little embarrassed about getting so worked up about nothing. Alu stayed behind him tentatively and so Minato figured it was up to him to take the lead. He looked around the room and saw a pedestal in the center. Alu took a step towards it but Minato held out his hand to stop her. "Something doesn't feel right." He said. Alu looked around too, but couldn't sense anything abnormal. A shiver went down her spine though, and her hair stood up on the back of her neck; something told her they weren't alone. Minato scanned the room analyzing what the scenario would be when all of a sudden, Jet who got impatient noticed something glittering out of the corner of his eye by the pedestal on the ground. Minato noticed it too but swiftly blocked the annoyed water type.

"Jet, Minato said to wait." Alu said her voice wavering only slightly.

"You finally used my real name… although it should be Namikaze-san or something to you." Minato said, while the water type struggled annoyed in his arms. Alu shook her head.

"Alright then, Mr. Namikaze, happy?" she asked.

Minato looked at her. Now she just made him sound old.

Jet took this chance and wriggled out Minato's slackened grasp and squirted him right in the face. Minato went "!" and fell on his butt. Jet laughed and ran towards the pedestal. Suddenly, a switch was triggered under Jet's feet and there was a great rumbling.

One second they were all standing, the next second they were all falling. With a combined flurry of cries the whole group fell through a secret passageway thanks to Jet. Minato was finding it hard to get a setting, footing, or anything with his three types clinging to him, and Charmander's lower half in his face was not helping him much.

Minato quickly called to his Bulbasaur, "Use Vinewhip! Quick!" Bulbasaur nodded and tried but there was nothing to grab onto. The walls were smooth. Damn, Minato thought, gritting his teeth. Alu was hugging Jet tightly, her eyes were closed.

"Alu! Can't you teleport us or something?" Minato exclaimed desperately.

Alu shook her head, "I can't let go of Jet! And my energy is low!"

_Oh, you are gonna die~ _that annoying fox sneered into Minato's head. Minato did not have time to deal with that stupid fox. He instead told Bulbasaur to use Vinewhip and direct it below them. The hole seemed to have turned into some sort of slide and they were all sliding underneath the haunted tower. Bulbasaur dug its claws into the side of the slide but it seemed it was prepared for that because Bulbasaur only slid ahead of the rest of the group exclaiming scared.

Minato remembered something. "Alu! Have Jet use watergun ahead of us!" he yelled.

Alu didn't question him, she commanded Jet to, and Jet let loose a torrent of water. They all slid on the water and the water cushioned their fall as they all of a sudden exited into a small…lake?

Minato and Alu yelled as they all splashed into the water. All of them coughed except for the two squirtles who seemed relieved to be in natural territory, and they all made their way to shore. Minato lay panting on the sandy edge with Alu who was wringing out her Jacket. Alu suddenly yelled, "Charmander!" and Minato's heart skipped a beat. Charmander couldn't be in water for too long! He stumbled to his feet and stripped off his jacket and shirt. He didn't wait for Alu's reaction, he ran out on the water expecting to walk on it like he had always done and was surprised when he suddenly splashed down.

"I'll get Char—aaaah!"

Alu called out to him, "Minato! You're chakra is sealed!"

Minato came up gasping. He held his breath, blocking out the Kyuubi's taunts and looked around for Charmander. His heart beat in his chest. How could he have been so careless? Where was it? Where was his pokémon?

Minato spotted a faint light in the distance below him and saw his Charmander sinking and he realized it was still struggling for breath. He pushed his way forcibly down and reached out. Just a little more….hang in there…. He thought, but his own supply of air was running out. He could hold his breath for up to three minutes, but it took two minutes to get to the fire lizard, and he only had 50 seconds of air left.

Damn…He thought, and held Charmander close to his chest. Its tail was glowing so faintly. He knew he couldn't let its flame die out, no way! He propelled upwards, but the surface was still a ways a way. He did his best but his air ran out still 5 feet below the surface. He felt his mind growing groggy and water invaded his passages. He choked and coughed and struggled but only water was getting into his passages. He began to sink. Charmander looked up at Minato who was fading fast and a new fierce light shown in its small blue eyes. Alu was on the surface and she nodded to Jet who leapt into the water to go assist along with Minato's Squirtle. Bulbasaur wanted to help to so it rode on the back of Squirtle and Jet dived under to get Charmander and Minato.

Charmander with all of its strength tugged Minato up and Jet assisted. Bulbasaur used Vine whip and they all returned to the land. Alu pulled Minato out of the water. His eyes were closed and she knew that he had water in his lungs. She tried to do CPR but she actually had no idea how. She knew it wasn't the time to be flustered about not knowing how but if she didn't do something Minato would surely die and this time she wouldn't be fast enough to save him. Of course, in order to save him she would have to …CPR would mean….she looked at his face, and suddenly felt the heat rising. NO NO NO! she thought furiously. This is not the time for that sort of thing! He's a married man! Wait…doesn't that make this situation more awkward? GAHHHHHH! She shook her head furiously. Wait, no, CPR is not actually kissing…yes it involves lip contact but….it's not kissing! It's not….it is …definitely not….her face turned totally red and she wanted to kick herself. She thanked the heavens she wasn't a boy. She took a deep breath and leaned in, tilting his head back a bit as she'd seen in a diagram and she proceeded to give him CPR. Please be ok she thought desperately. Now, she didn't exactly know how to actually get his air going and her eyes were shut tight. Suddenly she felt warm breath and suddenly she felt another tongue in her mouth. She froze.

What. What. What? She thought confused. Minato opened his eyes, and she did too then they both yelled and Alu shot up a tree. Minato just sat on the ground very, very disorientated, He coughed up whatever water he had in him, wiped is mouth. Alu's eyes filled with embarrassed tears, she threw a few pecha berries at him yelling, "GIMME BACK MY INNOCENCE!" Minato rubbed his head annoyed and stood up.

"Wh-what? Hey! You're the one who was leaning over me! Mind explaining why?"

"Cuz I was giving you CPR DUMB ASS!"

Minato paused; obviously he had not been expecting that. "Oh." Was all he said. Then he just sank to his knees and sighed heavily. In his head he was thinking; I can't believe I actually did that… I thought she was Kushina…

Alu was not reading his thoughts so she did not know the real reason why Minato had done that; she only knew that she was never giving any person CPR ever again.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur exclaimed. Minato and Alu both turned to Charmander and

Alu came down to see Charmander. It was weak and breathing heavily. Alu knelt next to it and gave it some Oran berries cut up into small pieces. "Minato, you stay with it. Me and Jet will scout this area, I don't know where we are actually, but I don't think we're in Lavender town anymore. We could be in a small forest though. I just need to get our bearings."

Minato nodded. "Right."

Alu stood up. "Jet, let's go!"

Her water type exclaimed in excitement and they ran into the forest. Minato stayed behind with Charmander whose flame seemed to be diminishing more than increasing.

"Charr….Charr…." it said weakly. Squirtle sat next to Minato and responded worried.

"Squirtle! Squirt?"

Minato patted its head. Bulbasaur rolled out its pokéball and Minato nodded. He returned them both. Charmander lay, sleeping and Minato sat crosslegged next to it. He stood up and began to pace. The secret passage had led them here, and he didn't know where here was. He sat down again. He hated this feeling of being helpless.

_Heh, sure sucks to be you._

Shut up. Minato thought tiredly. He tried blocking the fox but his energy was low from nearly drowning. He suddenly sneezed, oh right, my shirt, he thought. He looked around for his shirt and jacket. Alu had spread them out but, they were still a little wet. He sighed and sat down again fully clothed.

_Well, what do we have here? Do I smell discouragement? _The fox taunted him. Minato clapped his hands over his ears. The fox was laughing, it was ringing in his head and it was giving him a migraine.

_I may not be able to rip and tear you to shreds…but there are so many worse ways of torment than just physical pain…_it said softly. Minato shivered, but it wasn't because he was cold. Suddenly he felt dazed. Wh-what? He thought groggily. He heard the fox laugh again, echoeing, but he grit his teeth. He was the one in control, not the fox and his sudden burst of anger seemed to do the trick to block the Kyuubi. Minato instinctively clutched his stomach, and drew his knees in to his chest.

There was a faint scar on his stomach…a reminder… he thought dryly. Suddenly Madara's face appeared into his mind and his eye that glowed. Minato's eyes widened and he collapsed. What was going on with his body? Was the fox attacking his consciousness somehow from within? _That isn't me, although I would love to take the credit._ Minato coughed. He heard Charmander call out faintly but his vision was going dim. What…the hell is going…on?... Suddenly he realized something. His foot accidentally kicked a small grenade like thing, and that's when he realized. It was a clear odorless and yet powerful knock out gas. Damn….He thought, as he saw a pair of black boots appear in front of his nose. He weakly looked up into the eyes of another Team Rocket member. It was Anthony. Anthony knelt down right by Minato and grabbed him by his jacket, giving him a mirthless smile. Minato stared into Anthony's eyes. Why was he not being affected by the gas? He thought groggily. He realized Anthony was wearing a small oxygen mask.

"Well, remember me tough guy?" Anthony sneered.

He kicked Minato in the stomach and Minato doubled over coughing. He weakly fell to his knees and gripped his stomach in pain.

"I remember you. I also remember you are a monster." He whispered into Minato's ear. Minato flinched.

Anthony stood up, and unhooked some steel wire from his belt. He forced Minato onto his knees and tied his hands behind his back with the steel wiring. "Melted down by a Charizard's flame, bendable like rubber but still thick as steel." Anthony said matter of fact. Minato weakly tried to struggle but Anthony kneed him in the gut and Minato grit his teeth. He refused to let out a cry of pain although he was feeling disorientated and nauseus. This only proved to anger Anthony further, because he felt his chin lifted up forcibly and he was staring directly into

Anthony's hate fueled eyes. Minato's heart was beating faster in his chest, and he tried to look away but Anthony only tightened his grip.

"I don't know what you are, but I plan on taking you to the boss. You could be a new Pokémon not yet discovered. You're not the only legendary that can take on human form " Anthony said sneering. Minato was confused. What?

_What a retard. I am not some fluffy little house pet to go play adventures with! _The fox said snarling. Minato knew that Anthony's reasoning was not unreasonable but now he wished more than ever that he had not used the fox's chakra to win that match back in Mt. Moon.

"This gas here, it isn't knock out gas." Anthony was saying; Minato looked at him wondering why he was talking so conversationally. "This gas just weakens the mind and body. No chance of you summoning your special move now."

_I refuse to be taken in by this MF. I want to rip him to shreds! _The fox roared angrily. Minato flinched again from the sheer level of anger coming from the fox. His heart was beating fast; he didn't want to admit it, but he also wanted to defeat Anthony and escape. Charmander was being held by one of the Team Rocket lackies. There was only Anthony and this one other member who Minato did not recognize.

"Listen to me when I speak to you!" Anthony said angrily, grabbing Minato by the hair roughly. Minato grinded his teeth but held in his cry of pain, although his eyes watered slightly.

Anthony grinned at him, "Oh? Trying to play tough still? Continue the act, it'll be more fun when we return to the Boss's hide out. There we'll have some real fun."

Minato did not want to find out what he meant by that, but his heart sank. "Let me go!" He yelled. Where was Alu?

"If you're looking for your friend, give it up, she's already been captured." Anthony laughed as Minato's face flickered to shock. Minato though remained passive quickly; he wouldn't let his emotions control his actions. He had to keep a clear and cool head. NO matter what. This seemed to piss off Anthony who had been looking for a more scared reaction from his prey so he aimed another punch this time at Minato's ribs. Minato collapsed again coughing. He spit up a little blood but it wasn't much; just the side effect of being kicked in the stomach repeatedly. Panting he pulled himself to his knees without the use of his hands and he looked up in time to be hit across the cheek hard by Anthony's hand. Minato collapsed on his side, and lay there still, panting, his eyes watering from the stinging.

_Humph, I thought you were stronger than this. I'm disappointed. _The fox growled bored.

Shut up… Minato thought. Just shut…the fuck up, you stupid fox.

"Charrr!" he heard Charmander cry out in shock. He looked and his eyes widened to shock. Anthony laughed, holding the small weak fire lizard who was crying. Minato struggled to his feet but collapsed to his knees again. Damn it, that gas… Minato thought panting. 

"W-wait! What are you doing?" he yelled trying to keep his voice level. Anthony merely grinned nastily, since he couldn't get a reaction from Minato by hitting him, he'd do it this way instead. His arms extended out to the water and the little fire type cried, struggling weakly. Minato glared with pure anger and couldn't believe the level of cruelty that that son of a bitch was handling his Charmander with! Minato felt a pain in his side from the hits and doubled over, gasping. Damn…he thought. His vision was blacking out, but he willed himself to stay conscious. He wouldn't…let these light bug bites hinder him. He tried to struggle with his bonds but he couldn't free his hands. He stumbled to his feet none the less and breathing heavily tried to calm down his rushes of anger and hate.

_Ah, yes…hatred… _The fox said, _Now, I can fight with you._

Minato used all of his energy to shout back at the fox angrily, NO! I don't want your help! Your help is the reason why I'm in this mess in the first place! Go away you annoying parasite!

_Your own strength is no longer enough… but have it your way…your stubbornness will be your downfall, pitiful human waste. _

Great, glad we have an understanding, Minato thought dryly.

Anthony laughed and Minato's eyes widened in shock as he dropped the flailing Charmander into the water. A big Ka-SPLOOSH resounded and Anthony laughed. The second Team Rocket grunt yelled, "Anthony! You went too far!" Minato realized it was a young guy's. Probably around 15. Anthony hit the other Team Rocket member back and scolded him annoyed, telling him to get back to the ship and beam them up. The boy left reluctantly. Anthony faced off Minato who's face was shadowed. "Oh? Did I…touch a nerve?" he sneered.

Minato's anger grew so strong that Minato didn't know what to do with it all. He wanted to tear this guy to rip….to tear…. To win….

_Now, you're talking my lingo. _The fox purred. Minato didn't care if his using the fox chakra was wrong; he was in control, he was in charge and he would use any means to get at Anthony.

Anthony walked over slowly. "SO quiet? What? Can't take the hit!" His hand swung at Minato's face again and but this time The kyuubi's chakra surrounded Minato and Anthony fell backwards yelling in surprise as his hand had a burn. Minato slowly raised his head. "Grrrrr…Grrrr…GRRRRRR…."

"What the hell are you!" Anthony screamed.

Minato's eyes were a dark crimson red, and full of blood lust…and hatred. His eyes shone with a desire to kill. His consciousness told him to keep in control but his hatred seemed to be blocking his senses.

_That's it Minato…let loose…your inner demon, now…use my power to achieve your goals…and kill him._ The fox purred. Minato ripped right through the steel confinements and let loose one more roar. Then he ran right at Anthony and Anthony covered his face with his hands yelling scared.

The fox laughed. _The hunter…became the hunted._


	17. Chapter 16 Captured!

It didn't hurt. The feeling that wrapped me, consumed me…It felt strange. It felt good. I didn't feel any pain, the chakra must have been healing me up; maybe this chakra was more useful than I had first anticipated. I felt the power surging through me and it felt like I was unstoppable… which I knew I was. I turned my attention to Anthony, I wanted him to shake, to tremble before me. I wanted to punch him the same way he had punched me. My eyes narrowed, and I felt my teeth growing sharper, and my nails had gotten longer again. I ran my tongue over my newly developed fangs and wondered what it would be like to sink them into Anthony's shoulder. **Stop it… **a small voice said in the back of my mind. What? I thought. This guy is asking for a beating. **Minato..get a grip of yourself! ** Who the hell are you ? I snarled in my head. **I'm your sanity Minato! I'm still you technically! Don't let your emotions control you! You're going to go insane! ** I am sane right now, thank you very much, I thought heatedly. I blocked out the protesting voice, gazing at Anthony, letting my power surge through me.

_Yes Minato… Do unto him what he did unto you…_The fox said purring encouragingly at me. I smiled, then I lunged. I heard Anthony's yell of terror but leapt over him deftly. I had planned on attacking Anthony, why had I not? **Ok…so I guess we…I mean..I …you know what…. I can't explain. Just let me gain control again! **Why? I snarled. I felt so free…so released…this power coursing through me…making me invincible….I wanted to shred Anthony with it. That's when I remembered. Charmander! My sudden anger, and hatred slackened a bit to be replaced with a new emotion. Worry. I walked on the surface of the water and dove in deftly, swimming with incredible speed to Charmander who had fainted. I grabbed it and propelled my way back up to the surface in a matter of seconds. It was still breathing…I was so relieved that my anger and hatred died completely, but that was a mistake.

_No! You're anger! You're hatred! You'll be defeated unless you use them against him! _the Kyuubi howled angrily.

Anthony used my distraction and lack of power to summon out a weird yellow pokémon called Jolteon. "Jolteon! Use thunder wave and then Thunder bolt!" He commanded and before I knew what was going on, I was paralyzed and as I fell to the ground surprised a huge blast of electricity struck me and for the first time I cried out in pain. "Ahhhhhh?" my hits had only been half healed because I hadn't been using the chakra for very long and I fell to my side. Charmander was in front of me and I saw Anthony slowly walking towards it. It was lying there…helpless and I grit my teeth. I didn't want to, but I tried to get angry again, to feel hatred but it wasn't working. I couldn't summon the chakra again; and for the first time…the Kyuubi was unreachable. What the hell is going on? I thought, panicking. My chakra was sealed…Damn…. I tried to summon it, my own chakra,… I tried to locate the seal but I was low on energy. Damn it…when did I get so weak….I grit my teeth. I struggled to my feet and covered Charmander's limp form with my own body, refusing to let Anthony get close. Anthony only grinned and I got rammed by his pokémon and skidded back in the dirt. Coughing I saw him pick up Charmander again. My heart beat in my chest, and my anger rushed back. No. I refused to let that man touch Charmander and I stumbled towards him, while gaining momentum, and I dodged one of his punches and aimed a low swerving kick at his knees. He gasped and collapsed and I got Charmander back, and skidded back a few feet away from him. Anthony groaned in pain but called out another pokémon. It was his Venusaur.

"Shit!" I swore.

"Venusauuuuur~!" It roared.

Anthony gasped out, "Venusaur! Use Vinewhip and wrap him up!"

I stumbled to my feet and did my best to dodge the long vines that protruded from the giant flower on the pokémon's back. The Jolteon ran behind me and shocked me one more time and my legs crumbled under me as I lost control. A split second later I was lifted up and Charmander was separated from me. I managed to grab Charmander's pokéball feebly and I returned it quickly…but the next second the ball rolled out of my hands and Anthony held it in his hands.

"Charmanders are rare you know, I believe you have two other rare pokémon as well. Most trainers don't know this, but the starters of that region are actually very rare, and therefore many pokémon collectors would pay a good fee to have one of these for show."

"That's…wrong…" I said, panting at the tightening grip of vine whip. I began to cough from the suppression of air.

"That's enough Venusaur, we don't want him to faint…not just yet." Anthony said silkily. He limped over to me and I had a brief fierce sense of satisfaction. This must have shown on my face because a second later I had a bloody lip. But it was worth it.

Anthony stood in front of me, with the pokéball in one hand, and his in his other hand he pulled out a radio.

"This is Anthony, beam us up Eric. " he said, and put the transmitter away.

He ran his index finger along my cheek, and I flinched. Anthony smiled nastily. "I can't wait to show you to the boss, I do hope he leaves me in charge of recording your limits…I want to force you to show us your true form myself."

Does he do this to all the pokémon? Torture them?... just to see their power….how far he can push them? I thought trying hard not to let him see me breathing heavily now. I kept waiting for the Kyuubi to come out with some snide remark but it was silent. I didn't understand. I should have been relieved; I should have been but I wasn't . In fact, I was feeling even more helpless without the Kyuubi there. At least I could tap into its chakra… I was the boss of it now so it had to submit to me and when I thought of it like that, then using its chakra seemed much more reasonable.

I felt like I was forgetting something…but what? I felt him feeling around my waist and panicked. My other pokémon! He reached into my back pouch and I struggled but it was hopeless. He took the pouch itself and added Charmander to it. "Well, lookie here? it seems like my birthday came early this year." Anthony said snickering.

"Anthony…if you do ….anything to my pokémon…." I said in the most quiet tone. Anthony paused, and looked up . A flicker of fear crossed his face as his eyes met mine. I had a voice that could cut like a blade, and my eyes….which seemed to glow with a threatening gleam.

I realized that maybe Kyuubi had finally been shut off from my own wave link and we had become separated. I didn't know how I was to call on its chakra now, but I knew that, I had to protect my pokémon no matter what!

Anthony looked away from me for the first time and tried contacting Eric again. "Eric?" he asked. "Eric! Beam us up now!" but there was no response. Anthony swore under his breath. There was a sudden flash of light and I felt myself being zapped, but it was a more ticklish sensation.

I looked around, I had been zapped into a cage and Alu was passed out in the one next to mine. Alu! I thought relieved but then worried. She seemed ok, just knocked out, and I turned my attention to Anthony who took control of the main controls. There was a flush and Eric came out a second later. Anthony bopped him on the head for leaving his post and Eric whined how he had to go when he had to go. I realized I was no longer restricted but there was a forcefield around my cage. I knew better than to try to hit it head on. If only I had paper bombs, or something! I regretted not making a bigger fuss about Alu disposing of my ninja tools earlier… my ninja tools all gone.

Anthony started up the engines and we were lifted off ground. My pokémon were sealed in their pokémon balls literally and Anthony carefully made note of what would happen if I tried to escape.

I ignored his speech. I had been caught before by enemy ninja and even though some were annoying in their main death speeches, I had never met a guy that could talk as much as this one. Also, I normally could escape before they were finished talking. He was getting around to telling me how much he'd get praised by this boss guy and I couldn't help but remark, "You must really love this guy," In a totally bored tone. Anthony looked like he wanted to punch me but he couldn't and I made sure to taunt him by sticking my tongue out at him. I saw a vein twitch with satisfaction.

He told me how he was going to show no mercy and I yawned. Here we go again, I thought. I looked over at Alu, and wondered if she was feigning sleep but she looked really out. I sighed. What was going to happen now? I was supposed to be training to go up against Lt. Surge; I regretted going to Lavender tower. I remembered the wailing.

"Anthony, you used the wailing to lure us out you bastard!" I said annoyed.

Anthony looked at me like I was nuts. "What the hell are you going on about?" he said with genuine surprise.

"You know! In Lavender Tower! Making that ghostly wail, setting that slide trap! You had this all planned!" I said, unwavering.

Anthony looked at me; then he put the craft on auto pilot. He folded his arms and looked at me. "I have no clue what you are spouting about." He declared.

I began to sweat. If Anthony hadn't done that..then that meant…the tower really had been haunted, and since I had had a very long day but that wasn't why I finally fainted… I fainted after learning that there had indeed been a real ghost in that tower.


	18. Chapter 17 Face to Face!

Naruto began to cry. It was early morning and the third Hokage had

assigned a kuniochi to take care of Naruto with an Anbu on guard to

watch. The third was the one of the few who knew who naruto's parents

were, and the story he had for naruto was that his parents had

sacrificed him to the fourth to protect the village and then his

parents had died leaving Naruto in Yondaime's care.

It was a noble secret, but a loud one as well. The female kuniochi

was named Hikari and she was running around with some diapers to

change Naruto. The anbu watching her was shorter than her, with very

light blonde hair that was considered silver.

"Ms. Suzikya, do you need any assistance?" the boy said in a bored

tone. Kakashi didn't know whose child Naruto was. He avioded eye

contact though because the baby seemed to remind him of his sensei. Naruto continued to cry but the kunoichi, Hikari quickly quieted his cries with a soothing shushing.

Kakashi looked straight then and a jolt was sent through my body

because I felt him looking directly at me. My heart beat fast and I

backed up but realized I wasn't moving anywhere!

How had I gotten here? Alu? I hadn't even realized I was here until Kakashi has turned his cool gaze in my direction; that had seemed to wake me up.

Suddenly I heard her voice behind me.

Her red hair flowed behind her gracefully, her smile radiant on her

fair lips and her baby blue eyes that sparkled like the universe. Ok,

I knew that Jiraiya's descriptions were rubbing off on me...

"Kushina..." I whispered. She held her hand out to me silently. I

didn't question it, I didn't doubt; I didn't care as long as I could

embrace my wife.

I pulled her into a hug and held her. "what are you doing? Dattebyo?"

she said flustered. I just hugged her tight, feeling my throat choke

up with sobs. She hugged me back and when I opened my eyes; we were

floating in white space.

"Where are we?" I asked surprised.

"We are inside Naruto, Minato" Kushina said softly.

I looked at her, drawing back for the first time. She smiled sadly at

me. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"I know, I am just... I don't know..." I said slowly taking it in. I couldn't remember how I got here or how I had been watching Kakashi and Hikari.

"remember, you did up a seal... So a piece of me and you-"

"Is within Naruto..." I said softly. I remembered. I remembered it so

painsakingly well. I was pulled back from my guilt and grief by

Kushina wiping my cheek gently with her hand. I hadn't realized that I

had been crying.

Was everything with Alu just a dream? Was my reality here? With

kushina? I wasn't complaining, I wanted to be with Kushina more than

anything.

She smiled sadly at me. " I don't know the actual effects of your

jutsu, but it appears we may be a part from each other..." she said. I

didn't understand.

"Kushina, I would never leave you!" I said, my voice wavering.

"I know." she said softly. "Shining in the sky, I want you to remember

this lullaby." she said and she began to sing gently. My eyes widened,

as she sang I felt myself being pulled away from her against my will.

Then, I felt her arms around me, hugging me gently and I hugged her

back. Her voice unwavered and I closed my eyes, feeling at peace with

myself. Memories... Hopes... All of our times spent together...

Protecting Naruto's and the village's future happiness... I couldn't

explain the feelings I felt; I hugged her and realized she was the one

fading, not me. I stood there, holding her tightly, not wanting to let her go. I should be dead…just a fragment like her… I wondered if she knew I was still alive… I couldn't bring myself to tell her…I didn't want to think, I only wanted to be swept away by her as always. As she finished the last notes of the song, I felt her breath against my own but when I opened my eyes,I was alone again. I

was alone again, but this time in a strange long hallway.

"Kushina?" I called out desperately.

But I knew she wasn't there... Was I in my own mind? Or inside Naruto?

Had I become part of that piece of me? I felt a drip of water on my

nose. Huh? I thought. I looked up. Then I looked down, I realized it

was that same strange chakra water... And I knew with a sinking

feeling who was at the end of this series of passageways...

I must still be inside Naruto... I thought dazed. I sunk to my knees. The tears came flooding, but no one was there to wipe them away this time. I rubbed my eyes, and sighed. I was alive…but I was inside Naruto?... how? Suddenly, I heard

footsteps that were not my own. I couldn't comprehend how someone

other than me and Kushina could be here; my pulse quickened. I

stumbled and sprinted in the direction of the other footsteps.

Panting I ran right into the one person I wasn't expecting.

WHUMP!

I fell on my butt and heard a familiar groan from across from me. My

eyes snapped open and so did his. We stared into each other's blue

eyes. Then, we both yelled.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"That's my line!" myself said to me.

We stared at each other. "Um…wait…you're me…and I'm you?..." I said slowly. The other Minato glared at me. "You must be an imposter!" I stammered that I wasn't that I was technically him but all of a sudden I dodged a punch aimed at my face.

I deftly dodged with agility but got socked in the face anyways; my chakra was sealed I had forgotten. "Wow, you're really weak." Myself said to me incredulously. I wanted to tell myself that it wasn't my fault but I was consumed by pain.

"How did you get inside me?" Myself asked me.

"Kushina said I was in Naruto…" I said, rubbing my cheek. I couldn't believe I beat myself up; literally.

"Eh? Kushina? How did you speak to her?" Myself asked me. "Where is she?"

I realized that maybe she had thought I was this other me and my heart sank. "Er well…"

How could I tell myself that she was technically gone cause of the both of us?

My other me suddenly grabbed me by my jacket and glared at me. "You can't possibly be me!"

"Why's that?" I asked dumbly.

"You're clothes are different from mine." He pointed out bluntly. I looked at myself; I mean my other self and saw that I was sealed in my sage cloak and chunnin outfit, which meant I was talking to the part of me that was before I died…technically. My head was getting a head ache again.

Why me…I moaned to myself.

"Our clothes may be different, but we're the same person!" I said tiredly. The other me looked at me skeptically. "Well, I'm not one for violence anyways." My other self said, and sighing he sat cross legged across from me. I stared at myself.

"SO…if you are me…and I am you…why are there two of us?" he asked me curiously. I shrugged. "Hell should I know." I replied.

My other me scratched his head, then he snapped his fingers. "If you're really me…then…prove it." he said.

I stared at myself. "Well… ask anything."

My other me nodded. "I will. First, What is my favorite food?"

"Ichiraku Ramen, Misou usually, but sometimes we'll go for Pork Ramen is which our second favorite." I said without batting a lash.

My other me looked unaffected. "Humph, who doesn't like those two types? Not enough, second, who taught us, me, you?"

"We were taught by Jiraiya sama. Otherwise known as the Pervy toad sage." I said again without missing a beat.

My other me scratched my…er his head. "Not good enough either, you'd have to be stupid not to know what that guy's like….ok… hmmm…alright….next question…."

"Rin, Obito, and Kakashi, we were all in a squad. I assisted in the great Ninja war and we couldn't save Obito in time. Kushina became pregnant around …February…" I coughed at the last part, "Valentine's actually."

My other me stood up suddenly, and I fell backwards surprised. I squeezed my eyes shut expecting more hits but instead felt myself giving me a noogie. "Gerf off! Gerf OFF!" I grumbled. My other me laughed. "I've always wanted to have a twin!" I groaned.

"When did I get so…boring? And dull?" he asked me.

"Because this you, me, is not dead technically and I'm just stuck in some other world with a girl named Alu who is the only ticket for me to return home." I grumbled unconsciously. The smile on my other face froze. His brows came together and he stared.

"Wait…what?" he asked.

"I'm not dead…" I said. "You're the piece of me I sealed in here along with a piece of Kushina in order to protect Naruto…but I'm sure being me you already know that…"

My other me grabbed me by the shoulders roughly. "Does that mean…" his eyes were shining with a desperate hope and I realized what he meant. My heart sank and my eyes reflected the worst. How could I tell myself that the real real Kushina…was dead…

I didn't need to apparently, because the other me sank to his knees.

Looking at myself, so devastated… I looked away. The tears were sliding down his cheek, and they began sliding down mine.

"I'm sorry…" was all I could say.

The other me wiped his eyes and stood up, my back was facing him so I didn't see him forming the hand signs. Suddenly I felt a strange thumping sound in my back and I collapsed. "Wh-what?" I gasped.

"Since you are alive…I mean…me technically…I cannot risk enemy ninja getting any information from us. I am safe because I am in Naruto but I don't know what will happen to you… It seems we are separate and I cannot leave Naruto to become one with myself again. I won't leave Naruto or Kushina. But, you can…" I heard myself say. My eyes widened. He was going to use the memory erase jutsu!

"No! I'm safe in that world…" I protested. I didn't want to lose all of my precious memories! They were all that I had left….of this world…

"Listen….This technique will be painless…it is for the best…One day we will meet again Minato, I am sure of this…when that time comes…" but his voice was fading and I began to faint, slipping into unconsciousness…. All that I could hear…. All of my memories...all I could hear…was Kushina's lullaby in my head…

That's when my world went dark.


	19. Chapter 18 Sealed Secrets!

I came to and I heard the sound of whirring engines. I shook my head groggily and realized we were no longer in the forest of Lavender town. I sat up quickly. I looked around and realized I my hands were bound behind my back and my pokémon must have been confined in another room. I realized Minato was not here and my heart beat quickened. Where was he? Was he safe? I thought, and I closed my eyes, praying that he was not here. I sensed nothing of course, but feeling past his seal I realized he was close…in fact he was next door. Anthony must have got him too! I groaned. I looked around me. The room was small with no windows. I didn't see a possible way out and I knew that just using my ability to go through portals didn't exactly connect up to the same world…I could only use portals to different worlds. If I had Abbey I could have teleported and we'd all be safe…but Anthony had my pokémon…but my biggest concern was that he had Minato as well…

I stretched the best I could, and then I stumbled to my feet. I looked around the room ,and spotted a camera in the right corner of the room, and a laser in the left. There was no force field around the cage; luckily Anthony didn't know about my special power. Still, it was made of a hard sort of metal…not easily escapable without the help of my pokémon… All my stuff ...confiscated without my knowing from me as well, and this was an aggravation. I had to hand it to Anthony; he was one bad dude that really knew how to handicap his enemies. No one was monitoring me in the same room and I began to worry that he was going to put all his attention on Minato. This is bad…I thought. I hadn't wanted Minato to even meet up with these people, or rather; I hadn't wanted them to find out about his chakra…I had been in his memories after I had learned that he had already met Anthony, hoping that he hadn't done anything stupid…

Guys will be guys.

Anyhow, I couldn't just continue to sit here idly by. I stumbled to my feet and looked around me. My confinements were only made of rope which was good, but it was knotted heavily so no chance I could undo it. Crap, I wish I had Jet…I thought despairingly. I honestly had no idea where we were…I had always used my Bulba guide to help me find my place around this region…I sat down and closed my eyes. I had to contact Minato telepathically no matter what. I tried to predict how much of my energy I could spare for this and came up with a few numbers.

My numbers were:

I was at about 15% power

It takes about 15% to telepathically communicate with someone

If my energy reached zero I wouldn't die, but I would be completely powerless.

I had about .001% of untying these annoying knots

I had a 99% chance of not giving up!

1% reserved for my pessimism.

I breathed in slowly and then began. I opened my eyes and floated in the black space all around me. That's odd…I thought. Normally I would be passing by all these memories from his past but I didn't come across any. Not one. I began to run faster through the engulfing blackness until I saw a faint light up ahead. Minato's stream of consciousness, that must be it up ahead, I thought. I sped up as I got closer and then extended my arm out, touching it lightly. Suddenly, I saw Minato, and…Minato? I couldn't read lips but I didn't have to. I heard the Yondaime Minato say, "…memories will be sealed…." And my eyes widened. Minato fell to his side and fainted. Then the other Minato faded and I took a step back startled as I saw red chakra begin to surround him. What? I thought shocked. Is he mad? What's going on?

_I will take this moment of weakness….to destroy him! _Kyuubi roared and I realized that making them be friends could be more difficult than I thought.

"Kyuubi, NO!" I shouted, and I tried to grab Minato; but he was heavy.

_Foolish little bitch, out of my way! _Kyuubi roared angrily. I grit my teeth. I thought the Yin half was supposed to be,… nicer?

_I don't care if I die…as long as I can take his life as well! _It roared. My heart sank. I could feel all that hatred and something told me that if I didn't do something…Minato would be killed in his own mind(if that was even possible)

"Minato! Minato!" I tried to shake him awake but he was out of service. Damn, I thought. The reason why I couldn't see any of his memories…was that his memories were all gone….including the ones of me probably. I'd have to think up some sort of story when he woke up. For now, I had to make sure that the Kyuubi couldn't harm him in his now vulnerable state. But how? I was already being drained by just communicating with him in his head…I had no energy or any knowledge of how to actually shield against Kyuubi…I didn't know what I was going to do! My heart was ringing in my ears and the Kyuubi's true self was starting to materialize in front of me. And it was huge. 

_Rip…Tear…destroy…_ It kept growling. I stood in front of Minato. I knew running would be pointless…I suddenly felt something in his pouch. Huh? I thought. I thought that Anthony had taken everything…apparently not. I pulled out the fourth's specially made kunai. My eyes widened… the seal! I could use this to teleport fast around the Kyuubi. I didn't have chakra…but I did have some sort of energy…How did the fourth's kunai get here though? My grip tightened around the kunai, it didn't make sense. I had gotten rid of all his weapons and the only kunai of his I had was in the pouch Anthony confiscated…that I was sure of. And yet…I felt a rushing wind as Kyuubi swung at me and I didn't have time to think, I just subconsciously stabbed the kunai into the ground below me. I was surprised to see a seal glow from the kunai and then resume to proceed to binding the fox in a strange language which I assumed to be the sealing technique of the fourth's. But how? I didn't have time to question it, I just stepped back, dragging Minato back a little ways. The Kyuubi roared angrily and tried to swing but it had been sealed in a way that it couldn't escape. _You! What have you done? _It roared in shock and anger. Like I have a clue… I thought just as surprised.

Suddenly there was a great rumbling and the seal formed some sort of cage, and the Kyuubi was sealed behind its bars even more securely than it must have been before. The seal glowed in the center of the cage in the high up middle. It was unreachable and I think it was unreachable for a reason although I didn't know what. It continued to roar but it was fading. I heard a voice from far away, and I realized it was Anthony's. I had probably about a minute left in Minato's head… but what could I do? He was totally knocked out and I had no idea how I was going to fill him in that Anthony was the bad guy and all that if he wasn't even awake. I shook him. He didn't wake up. 50 seconds…

I tried shouting his name. 46 seconds….I finally did my last resort .I bit him. I bit him on the ear and sure enough, his eyes popped open and he skidded a few feet away from me stammering incomprehensibly. I rolled my eyes. Go figure, what a weird guy…I thought. It was either that or kissing him and I picked biting. Plus I kinda wanted to josh with him a bit… I know this wasn't the time for that…but I couldn't pass up that opportunity. 35 seconds…

"Who are you? Why are you in my head!" He stammered.

"Listen Mi-….Sparky." I began. "I am Alu,. You are my friend and you have currently lost your memories. I have no idea how to get them back for you, but I do know that when you wake up in about 15 seconds you're gonna come face to face with the bad guys who think you are a pokémon for unknown reasons, and you don't know what those are but they're creatures with special abilities and it is our jobs as trainers to try to control them and befriend them and also, if you hear an annoying voice saying it wants to kill you, that's just your conscious." I rambled.

"My…conscious?" he echoed.

"Yep, it likes to say,rip, shred, tear and it may try to tell you strange stuff, remember, its just your imagination." I said. I wasn't sure if Kyuubi would be able to communicate with Minato, but just in case, I had to say something in order to protect him so he wouldn't say something to Anthony that would give him away. Having his memories sealed was actually a good thing in a sense… I hoped that it at least meant he wouldn't be so depressed and down. Minato stared at me.

"WAIT! How do I know that I can trust you!" he exclaimed and I realized I was already fading.

I smiled at him and then said probably the most cheesy line ever. "Just listen to your heart." I figured, what the hell, it sounded like something you'd say to your friend who just lost his memories to himself…I needed more friends I decided.

Before he could say anymore I felt that similar sensation and blinked a few times. I was back in the confinement room. I sighed relieved. At least I knew what was going on somewhat now. Minato's memories were sealed…I wondered why and concluded that maybe he'd talked with himself or something and they'd decided that in order protect the ninja secrets and all that, it would be safer if they sealed his memories. Of course…that meant that the seal would only be removed if…if….actually I had no idea how the memory seal would be lifted if it was done by Minato's own self…wow what a headache I was getting. I was staring absently at the laser wondering if it would zap me if I stuck my foot outside the bars when I realized, it was a laser. I facepalmed mentally. This was too perfect. A sneaky grin spread across my face. The laser seemed to be following my movements and I calculated my timing.

It was time to bust out of here and now I had an idea on how!


	20. Chapter 19 Escape! Minato questions Alu!

The laser powered up one more time and with that last taunt Alu managed to zap her ropes enough to struggle out of them. Now, getting out of the bars was a trickier matter. The beam was small but powerful, and it could hit her without hitting the cage bars; she needed it to hit the cage bars so that she could escape faster. She hoped that Minato wouldn't do anything stupid and she heard the satisfying sizzling of laser hitting metal. Today's turned in my favor, finally, she thought grinning to herself. Anthony had been tracking her ever since she'd thwarted his plans to capture Suicune on Cinnabar Island.

She suddenly heard footsteps coming in her direction, located outside her door. She picked up one of the melted rods and decided it'd make for a makeshift weapon of defense. Her power levels were at zero but that was ok. She'd done what she'd set out to do. Her grip tightened around her rod when the door beeped and slid open; she didn't wait for a reaction, but swiftly knocked out the two grunts sent to retrieve her. She grinned again.

"Wh-what…" one of them groaned. "The stupid brat managed to escape?"

She knelt next to him and gave him her biggest smile. "Any time." Then he passed out.

She stood up again, and rummaged around for the key. She pushed the two team rocket members out of sight of anyone else, taking note that the camera was probably giving her away. Not that she particularly cared about that. IN fact, she wanted that. In order to distract them from Minato she was playing scapegoat. She didn't waste any time. Instead of heading for the room next door where Minato was being held, she turned down another hallway and decided to find the main general or captain of wherever this was. They were in a building and when she looked out she realized that there were no windows! How strange…she thought.

She ran down the hallway and checked various rooms. Main command center…main command center! She thought. Where could….it…be…that's when she realized she'd been next to it the whole time! Minato was being held in the main command center. She groaned. She turned around and then her face fell. She was lost.

She scratched her head. Behind her she heard others yelling to capture her at all costs, and the barking of Houndours and Houndooms. I need to become a better planner! She thought as she ran into the nearest room she could find, and locked it with the key. People ran past her and she sighed with relief. She had spread her scent all over so the fire dogs couldn't actually get a good reading on where she actually was. She wondered if her stuff was with Anthony too… and she sighed. That's when her hand brushed against an all too familiar pouch. "!" she thought and she realized she had shut herself in a small storage room…full of stolen goods including her stuff! Her pouch and all the pokémon were in a small pile in a corner. My luck just keeps getting better and better! She thought happily. Out flashed Jet and Alu hugged her partner so relieved. Jet too nuzzled her and she laughed out loud without caring.

"She's in here!" someone yelled. Alu nodded to Jet, who grinned devilishly. When the door was opened, out came a giant torrent of water and all the grunts yelled and their pokémon all howled. Alu hung on to Jet as they whizzed back in the direction of Minato. The water cleared and the grunts and pokémon were coughing. They stumbled after Alu hopelessly behind her.

Alu called out Abbey when they were outside the door and they were teleported in. Alu's heart leapt to her throat though at the sight before her. Minato was conscious but his expression looked hazy; he had a strange electric collar around his neck and it seemed like he had just been shocked because he was panting heavily. Anthony held the remote in his hand and glared at Alu with a smirk. "I had a feeling you'd be here… what took you so long? I was just having some fun because I got bored waiting." He sneered. Minato's eyes flashed and suddenly he cried out in pain as another clearly visible blue electric charge was shot around him. Alu tried to shout out but nothing came out. Anthony called out his Venusaur. "If you try anything funny, I'll use Venusaur here to take out your pokémon. Now, be a good girl and withdraw your pokémon. After all, this fight only involves you, me, and your pokémon friend here."

Alu looked at Anthony speechless. She wasn't sure what to do, but she withdrew her two pokémon and Anthony withdrew his Venusaur. "I'm a man of my word, regardless of my job interest." He said silkily. He turned his attention to Minato who was breathing slowly and whose eyes were on Alu; a flicker of surprised recognition showing on his face. When Anthony was looking at him, Alu winked quickly at Minato who seemed to realize she was the one from inside his head.

"Right…well I think there has been some sort of misunderstanding…my friend… Sparky here is not a pokémon." Alu said honestly. Anthony laughed.

"You expect me to believe that? See this?" He pointed to his leg which was swollen around the lower half, and his face had a faint bruise above his upper right eye. But what was noticeable was faint abnormal burns that were fading… chakra burns? Alu whistled in appreciation. Anthony's face flashed with annoyance. Alu felt the hit before it had actually made impact and she fell backwards. Her eyes teared up but she refused to cry. She knew that she had that coming.

"Don't tell me that he isn't some sort of …thing." Anthony muttered. Minato made a small noise staring worriedly in Alu's direction and this seemed to amuse Anthony all of a sudden. "Oh? You're reaction didn't really change while I was trying to force you to transform ….but apparently whenever it is someone important to you…." His voice trailed off. Alu could just tell that Minato had no idea what Anthony was talking about. She groaned…ok maybe memory loss was causing more harm than good right now… She had to get Minato out of here…she just had to! But Anthony held the remote in his hand… and all her pokémon minus Jet weren't as strong as some of the other pokémon she had but weren't currently with her. She wiped her mouth, she had a cut lip. Then she stood up. Anthony looked at her coolly. She lifted her head up and stared confidentially at him. Then she ran at him with a drawn back fist. Minato and Anthony both looked surprised but Minato wasted no time, and he swiftly kicked Anthony's legs. Alu slowed her speeding fist and made it hover right over Anthony's nose. The remote flew out of Anthony's hands and Alu grabbed it. She called out Abbey and commanded her to teleport them to safety. Anthony yelled in anger as they teleported away to safety.

They all fell in front of a pokémon center where Abbey had teleported them. Alu looked around and rubbed her head. "Ouch…" she muttered. She saw Minato looking around in a daze. She held out her hand to him. "You need a hand?" she said, grinning. Minato looked at her intently and then got up dusting himself off.

"Thanks but I'm good." He said, brushing her off. Alu felt a vein twitch. Minato was looking around curiously and scratched his head.

"You apparently seemed to know something about me… who am I?" he asked her suddenly. She crossed her arms.

"You're name is Minato, but we always call you Sparky…" she said, picking her words carefully. He seemed to process this and then he pointed to Abbey.

"That is…a pokémon?" he asked interested. Alu was a little taken aback at his calmness but figured that would make her job easier.

"Yes… you had pokémon too, they're here…" she said, and she showed him his pokémon in their balls. He took them hesitantly.

He looked up at her and then asked, "So…I'm a …trainer… but what happened? Why can't remember what happened? Was it cause of that guy Anthony? And why does he keep asking me to summon my red power?" He asked in a rush.

Alu did her best to answer without giving anything away. "Well, you're memories are sealed…and I don't know why…I can only assume that something happened… I wasn't there though so I don't know. Anthony I don't think had anything to do with it, and as an added note you need to know that Anthony is a little…loco." She said, twirling her finger around the side of her to emphasize crazy.

She waited for Minato to ask her more questions but he seemed to be taking everything in. All of a sudden he grabbed his head and shook it exclaiming, "What the hell is going on? Why can't I remember anything? Gaaaah! I feel like there is something I'm missing! But what?" He turned to her. "How do I get my memories back!"

Alu shrugged. "The hell I should know." She merely said, then she walked towards the entrance of the pokémon center. Some people had stopped and were staring at Minato in his collar and the girl whistling while walking away. Minato ran after Alu.

"You must know! Come on! Tell me!" He said, grabbing her forcibly by the shoulders.

"I said I can't do anything!" She said annoyed. She added, "Your memories will return to you when the time is right. I'm sure this is just temporary. Until your memories return just…I don't know…do stuff." She brushed his grasp off and walked into the pokémon center.

Minato was left out in the street, and his expression was conflicted. What will you choose…she thought sadly, stay with me?...or go on not trusting me?... She couldn't make him trust her so she left him to take in the events. She really hoped…that he would turn and follow her in.


	21. Chapter 20 Thoughts in the clouds

What had happened to me? I thought, my heart beating fast. Why couldn't I remember anything?... I looked around me as though in a daze… I knew I must look strange with this weird collar thing on. That was the least of my concerns…My biggest concern was the fact that I felt like I should know more than I did…it was strange….I felt like it was my fault I couldn't remember anything… but what was it that I couldn't remember? I scratched my head. It was strange…but it seemed the harder I thought about it, the more distant it became…I turned my focus to the girl. That girl…I didn't even know her name…but she seemed to know me… I didn't see her as a threat, in fact she had saved me with her Abbey…and frankly I felt lost at the moment. I turned and ran in pursuit of her.

"Hey! Wait a second!" I called out to her, raising my arm. I felt pain though and cringed back in surprise. I had forgotten, that guy Anthony hadn't been soft on me… the girl turned her head and looked at me with a calm expression. She had what I took to be pokéballs and handed them to a nurse with pink hair. She chatted with the nurse and then she turned around and walked over in my direction. She took something out of a small pouch and handed it to me. It was blue and kinda big. I stared blankly at it. "What is this?" I asked stupidly.

"Oh right, you wouldn't remember, it's an oran berry. Use it, it'll help your stamina." She offered it to me. I took it without hesitation and ate it. It tasted good! I realized I was starving. IT also healed me! It must be some sort of medical berry or something!

"We'll eat at a café after we're done here. Your pokémon are in for check up, you don't remember but you saved Charmander from drowning." She was saying conversationally. That made me want to remember even more and I tried to but without any success.

"Don't think too hard on it… your memories aren't permamently gone." She told me, and I supposed it was compensation.

I didn't know why I was being so calm about all this, but I felt like I had been with her long enough to know she wasn't a threat. I shook my head. I still couldn't remember her name.

"It's Alu." She said smiling and I gasped.

"H-how'd you do that?" I asked incredulously.

"I already told you… stuff and I can." She simply deflected and then she grinned. "I bet you're craving some Ramen right about now huh?"

I hadn't realized it, but when she said that, my stomach seemed to growl louder. I patted my stomach, "I may not remember anything…but I think my stomach remembers ramen…" I said.

"Great, let's go then while our pokémon are being rested. You can take Bulbasaur and Squirtle with you, since Charmander needs rest." She said and I followed her as she exited the center.

We came to a small ramen shop and the ramen smells made my mouth water. We ordered and while we were waiting, Alu was shaking the remote to my weird collar. "There has got to be a release button or something..." she muttered.

"That guy, he could still have the key to this…" I theorized. She shook her head.

"Nope, I know he doesn't because I was looking for one when I provoked him into punching me. No, the key has to do with this remote…a scanner perhaps?" she was talking to me and to the remote. I just watched her with curiosity. This girl knew me before I lost my memories; I wondered what I was like. Since she could read my mind…and apparently get into it, I thought maybe she could tell me a bit about myself?

She was inspecting the remote so I patiently waited. After a few minutes our ramen arrived and my main focus turned to food. We said thanks for this meal and dug in. While I was slurping up the noodles; she began to speak.

"Well…who you were and who you are now is pretty much same." She said.

"And what does that mean?" I asked, swallowing my mouthful of delicious noodles.

"It means, you are who you are." She said smiling. I began slurping my noodles again, I had no idea how to respond to that. All I knew is that I didn't know who I was really… I felt lost and …empty…

"It's going to be ok Minato." She said gently. I looked at her. She looked back a little surprised.

"Sparky…you usually said you called me Sparky." I said. She nodded.

"Or Minato, or Mina-chan. Sparky is your favorite nickname to be called though," she said, grinning.

Was it? I had feeling saying otherwise but didn't remark. She laughed a little, thumping me hard on the back so that I coughed up the broth I was drinking at the bottom of the bowl. She snickered and ordered another bowl for me and her. I was fine with that but…I didn't think I'd ever get used to this weird girl…

"Yep, you haven't changed a bit." She commented, giggling.

I sighed for no apparent reason; I wondered if that was a compliment or not.

"Oh!" I heard her exclaim happily. I was startled by her sudden outburst and almost choked on my noodles. She was waving the remote and showed me that there was small dial.

"Like… a locker combination." I said surprised. She nodded.

"Yep. SO the good news is that we found your key…bad news is I don't know the combination…" she said brightly.

"Can't you just read his mind or something?" I asked her. She shook her head. Great. Let's make this difficult, I thought groaning. She hopped off her seat after paying the bill. "Ya coming or not?" she called back to me.

"Ah. Yeah!" I called back, and with one last slurp I followed her out into the city.

Me and Bulbasaur were training the next morning against Alu and her Jet. She was preparing me for my match against Volkner. When I had asked her previously how come I was such an old challenger, she had merely said this was a new region because the region I came from was the Katon Region which was far away. I asked her when I could return home to that region, and she had said, after I'd completed my quest here. Since she didn't strike me as untrustworthy, I figured that that would explain why I was here; after all there were many regions on this earth.

Bulbasaur unleashed its Vinewhip and Jet dodged it nimbly. Alu seemed very confident, but I was too. I called out, "Use sleep powder!" and Bulbasaur followed my command perfectly. Jet sneezed but managed to dodge the attack. Jet was her starter so of course he'd be her strongest pokémon. "Alright! Use tackle!" I commanded.

"Bulba!"

"Jet! Go! Use water gun!" she called out. Grass and water collided and Jet was knocked backwards. Grass was an advantage over water, and since I was up against Volkner and his electric type, I knew that grass would be my best bet. Charmander was still recovering. Whatever had happened yesterday with that guy had injured Charmander more than Alu had first thought and I had wanted it to get good rest. Although, there was one problem I had….

Out flashed a little electric type. "Piiiiiichuuuuuuu!" it declared. I groaned. Alu had filled me in on how I had saved this Pichu a few times and how it had come with us on adventures as a sort of accident that was meant to happen. I frankly didn't feel like it liked me much… true enough, it shocked me . Alu and Jet were laughing but after yesterday's electrical shocks from the collar it just proved to hurt more. I groaned. That led to another problem… the collar I had on my neck could be undone with a locker combo…but neither of us knew it so for now it was a temporary accessory…

Pichu didn't seem to care at all for my well being. I didn't particularly care that it was a rare species, all I cared about was getting a rubber collar for it.

"Jet return!" I heard Alu call, "alright, I choose you…_Electrup!_" out flashed the small puppy pokémon. It was an orange color, with yellow tipped ears that looked like mini thunder bolts and on its fur it had actual thunderbolt fur on all four legs. It's back was orange with a thunderbolt running down its back and then the tip of the thunderbolt being the tail. It was small, maybe about as big as Jet, Alu's Squirtle. I opened up my pokédex and expected it to appear but only an unknown symbol popped up in the shape of a question mark.

"Alu…this pokémon isn't registered!" I said baffled. Alu grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Course not, it's ultra rare. We met through chance and circumstance." She merely replied airily.

I wanted to ask if she wanted to trade the hellish Pichu for the seemingly well tempered electric puppy; I didn't like rats anyways.

Alu snorted, "It's an electric mouse, I told you it's not a rat."

Pichu glared at me and I groaned. I hadn't wanted it to know that I thought it was a rat accidentally again.

I didn't like vermin in general.

The Pichu's ears twitched and it shocked me again. I wondered if Alu wasn't the only one who could read my mind. Alu only grinned at me. That's right! I couldn't forget…I had training I was in the middle of. Bulbasaur was my best bet against an electric type…especially since I was doing one on one with the gym leader.

Bulbasaur got into battle stance and the match continued. Pichu sat on the sidelines with Jet who had woken up and had zapped itself out of the pokéball it had been in.

"GO use Vinewhip!" I called out.

"Go Ellé! Use thunder ball! " she called out. Both pokémon let loose their battle cries and vines collided with the electrically charged ball. Bulbasaur tried to swat the electric attack but instead it shocked Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur struggled to stand but the attacks from her Cynder and then Jet had already weakened it… We hadn't actually beaten Cynder but Alu had withdrew it because we were going to and she just didn't want to admit that I was gonna win. I was still brooding about that… I sighed. Bulbasaur had done its best, I knew that but I still felt a little discouraged. I must have been zoning out because a second later I felt something cold tap against my hand. I looked and realized it was a bottle of water, being held out by Alu who was grinning.

"That was a good match, Bulbasaur's stamina has surely gotten stronger no doubt. We'll resume training after your break." She said.

I protested, "I need to get stronger now so that I'll be ready to beat this guy." She shook her head.

"Strength and preparation are great, but you also need to balance it out with plenty of rest" she seemed to lecture me.

I felt silly be lectured by a 14 year old girl but didn't say anything. She winked at me.

"Did I say I was fourteen? I'm actually fifteen." She said, giggling.

I actually didn't remember her telling me she was 14… I had just guessed.

I protested a bit more but finally found myself stuck, and looking around bored in the city. Bulbasaur was with Charmander, so the only two pokémon with me were Pichu and Squirtle. I wondered what to do with myself. When I wasn't training I had a lot of time to think… and yesterday just wouldn't leave my mind. I walked slowly down the sidewalk, as Anthony's face loomed in my mind. I remembered him telling me about how I had tremendous power, and that he wanted to show me as a prize to the boss. He thought I was a pokémon… but I didn't think I was… but what if I was a pokémon? … Maybe Alu knew me…because I was one of her pokémon turned human!...it seemed far fetched… but it seemed to make some sense to me at least.

I put my hands in my pockets and continued to walk. Why were my memories even sealed in the first place? I knew that there was no way I didn't have memories of a past…I obviously had a childhood… that's why I was questioning why I didn't have any recollection of anything before yesterday….I sighed. I looked up at the sky, at the clouds and wondered, was anyone else looking up there and asking the sky unanswerable questions as well?

The clouds moved across the sky, and her blue eyes watched them calmly as they did. She tucked a loose strand of her red hair behind her ear. An older woman called out to her, "Ah, Missy, I'm glad to see that you're finally awake, thanks so much for helping us out with our garden lately..…Are you hungry?"

The young woman shook her head, smiling. "No, I'm just looking." She said, turning her gaze back up to the sky. The woman sat on the bench next to her.

"The clouds are nice aren't they?" the older woman commented.

The younger woman gazed up at them. "Yes, I sometimes wonder if someone I know is looking up at these very same clouds right now…" she said softly. The older woman patted her on the arm comfortingly.

"I don't know the whole story..but I'm sure that wherever he is, he is safe. You two will meet again, I'm sure of it." she said supportively.

The woman smiled at the older woman.

"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum." She said softly. Mrs. Ketchum smiled.

"You know, in the few weeks you've been awake, I've been calling you Missy, but…may I ask what your real name is?" Mrs. Ketchum asked politely; curiously.

The younger woman gazed up at the sky, "Kushina…Kushina Uzamaki."


	22. Chapter 21 Earning the Thunder badge!

Alu sat on the bench with her partner Jet, while she sipped her tea. She had left Minato to walk about the city, she knew that he wouldn't go too far and Anthony was hopefully not around. She grinned to herself, since Jet had left his base flooded; she knew it would be a while.

She looked up at the clouds and was deep in thought. She already had the badges from this region, but she figured she could expand her pokédex while she was here. Although, she only needed her pokémon she had. Jet nuzzled her hand and she smiled. **Let's go find that guy!** Jet told her. Alu nodded.

Minato had been standing outside a shop for a few minutes, staring at the clouds lost deep in thought. He was here…and yet he felt empty. What that girl had said, it made sense in a weird way though. He shook his head, he couldn't explain it… but he felt like he wasn't the only one looking up at that blue sky. He began humming to himself absent mindedly; he didn't know the tune but it seemed to make him feel peaceful.

Suddenly he felt a thump on his back and he fell flat on his face. "What the?" he exclaimed. He heard laughter behind him and groaned. It was just Alu and Jet. He got up.

"YO~ break time is over. Time for you to go off and challenge Lt. Surge." Alu said grinning.

Minato nodded. Finally, things were moving along. Alu walked on and Minato followed without looking back at the clouds.

Upon arriving at the gym, Minato felt his confidence and determination build up. Every badge he earned would get him closer to returning to the Katon region where supposedly his memories would return! At least, that was his theory. He wondered if his memories were where he was from. Alu had agreed with him so he prepared to return! Alu had told him though that beating all the gyms were his biggest priority and he enjoyed learning about new things and adventures. Minato had nodded. True, he felt an overwhelming interest in everything going on around him.

Lt. Surge entered on his side of the gym; Minato wondered if there were hidden cameras or something that notified this guy about challengers arriving. Lt. Surge looked buff and tall; Minato looked at his own arms and although he looked fit…He couldn't help but feel a little unmanly. Lt. Surge apparently already knew Alu and they said hello. Minato introduced himself as well… then it was time for the match to begin.

Out flashed Raichu. Out flashed Bulbasaur fully recharged.

"Raichu, go! Use thunder bolt!" called out Lt. Surge.

Thunderbolt? That sounded oddly familiar…but Minato shook his head. It was a common attack so that must be it he concluded. "Bulbasaur! Dodge and use tackle!" he called out.

Bulbasaur nodded and quickly dodged, then it went in for the tackle. Raichu though was just as fast and deftly dodged without being commanded to.

Minato called out his next attack, and the vines shot out, but Raichu was too fast on its feet. Minato had to think quickly. Another thunder bolt came their way and Bulbasaur nimbly dodged it.

Lt. Surge merely laughed and boasted, "My Raichu is undefeatable! Only a few have managed to beat me…everyone else goes on their way cuz they've given up."

Minato called out, "Get ready to eat those words! I'm not backing out and I won't give up on my pokémon!" Bulbasaur shot out vine whip again and Raichu dodged it just as fast.

"If you think you can beat me…then prove it!" Lt. Surge called out challengingly. Minato knew he had to find a way around the Raichu's speed.

Alu sat on the stands, watching as Minato battled it out with Bulbasaur. She smiled to herself. Jet waved a little Ganbare flag and Alu grinned, calling out to Minato supportively. "You're going to get pulverized!~"

Minato groaned. "Thanks for your support!" he called back. She laughed. Minato shook his head, honestly he had no idea what went on in her head.

Raichu was a difficult opponent though, that was for sure. Electricity's weakness would be a ground type… but he didn't have any ground type…he could only depend on Bulbasaur to help him win… Charmander was still resting.

Bulbasaur panted and tried using tackle again. Raichu quickly dodged and the match went on and Minato wondered if it would be a stale mate. Suddenly, Raichu's thunderpunch hit Bulbasaur who had become tired from all the dodging and Bulbasaur fell backwards. "Bulbasaur!" Minato called out worried.

"No pain, no game! Go Raichu! End it with Iron tail!" Lt. Surge crowed. Suddenly Minato had an idea.

"Bulbasaur! Hurry! Use Vinewhip!" he called.

"That's useless!" Lt. Surge called out as Raichu dodged it easily. Maybe so, Minato thought, but it would buy me some time! He calculated Raichu's speed and stamina levels and noticed that Raichu had been breathing a bit harder as well. Raichu may be fast…but it obviously used a lot of energy that way! Bulbasaur..I'm counting on you! Minato thought confidently.

Alu raised her eyebrows. Oh? She thought, this is getting interesting now.

Lt. Surge realized that Minato knew his Raichu was getting tired but he was unphased. "Alright Raichu! Use thunderpunch!"

"Raiiiiiiii~CHU!" it exclaimed as it swung at Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur cried out as it took the hit. The arena dust kicked up obscuring the two pokémon from view. Lt. Surge began to laugh victoriously.

"You've been beat!" He said triumphantly. Minato looked at him seriously, and then a grin spread across his face. Lt. Surge looked surprised.

"!"

"Alright! Bulbasaur! Use Sleep powder!" Minato called.

Bulbasaur unleashed its Sleep Powder and Raichu cried out before it fell asleep.

Lt. Surge kept sputtering, "B-but how? Raichu made two direct hits, your pokémon should out!"

The smoke cleared and showed that Bulbasaur had used Vinewhip to wrap around the Raichu tightly; Bulbasaur had taken a direct hit on purpose. Minato wasted no time.

"Use leech seed!" he called out.

Lt. Surge grit his teeth. "Raichu! Wake up! Raichu!" but his pokémon continued to sleep. Minato took that chance to have Bulbasaur use tackle once more. Raichu skidded back a few feet. It was still asleep.

"Raiiiiichuuuuuu!" Lt. Surge yelled. Bulbasaur lunged in with another tackle attack and the hits were beginning to show on Raichu. Bulbasaur skidded back, and began to pant harder. Minato knew that he was pushing Bulbasaur to its limit.

"Just a little more Bulbasaur! You're doing great!" he called out encouragingly. Bulbasaur smiled, and steadied itself. Raichu glowed green and Bulbasaur absorbed health from it as well.

"Damn it!" Lt. Surge exclaimed. "Raichu! Raichu wake up!" Raichu remained out of it and Minato figured it was just about time to wrap things up. He commanded Bulbasaur to use tackle one more time. Bulbasaur nodded and ran right at Raichu.

Raichu's eyes flashed open all of a sudden and it rolled out of the way of Bulbasaur's attack. Next, it appeared behind Bulbasaur and Lt. Surge called out, "Use THUNDER!"

Bulbasaur exclaimed in surprise and cried out as a huge blast of electricity hit it head on. It staggered around a bit and collapsed. Lt. Surge crowed, "You're pokémon has fainted. You've lost."

His Raichu was panting but it had the same haughty attitude. Minato was speechless. He had lost… suddenly he saw a flicker of movement from Bulbasaur. "IT's not over…not yet!" he called out. Please…do your best Bulbasaur! "Bulbasaur….use Tackle!" He called out.

Bulbasaur unleashed its battle cry and Raichu was hit with the attack head on. It exclaimed in surprise and fell backwards. Panting, it slowly pushed itself up. Bulbasaur was barely standing and could no longer move. Damn! Minato thought. He had to get Bulbasaur out of there!

"See? You're pokémon is too weak to even move anymore! Go Raichu! Let's finish them!" he crowed at Minato.

Raichu confidently charged at Bulbasaur, getting ready to unleash iron tail. Suddenly it cried out in surprise as it glowed all green. It stopped in mid swing and fell on the gym floor. Bulbasaur absorbed some more of its energy. It shook its head better energized.

"Raichu? Raichu? NO! impossible!" Lt. Surge exclaimed shocked. Raichu was unable to battle. Minato ran to Bulbasaur and the two hugged victoriously.

"Oh, you are a good Bulbasaur! Tough too!" Minato said, grinning happily at his partner. His partner nuzzled him and Minato laughed. Lt. Surge reluctantly handed the Thunder badge to Minato.

Outside, Alu grinned at Minato. "Well, that's three badges! Only four more to go!" She said, grinning at him. Minato nodded. That's right…only four more to go…and then he'd be able to go home….

"Yeah…" he said smiling.


End file.
